Cyprus - Investigating Late Bronze Age Urban Landscapes

Applications are reviewed as they are received, so early applications are encouraged.  

1. Log in to the Gateway online application program
2. Select “Search Experiences” and type "GSP" to explore Global Seminars programs
3. Upload the application form for your selected Global Seminar – see Application documents below

Please note that you can apply for up to a maximum of 2 Global Seminars.

Students are encouraged to meet with the Program Director at an orientation session or one-on-one to learn more about the program.

This course is led by UBC faculty member Kevin Fisher.

This archaeological field school will take place in Kalavasos and surrounding area, Larnaka District, Republic of Cyprus.  

The main objective of this course is to train you in the principles and methods of field archaeology as practiced in the Mediterranean and Near East today so that you can work as a competent field archaeologist on other projects.  A secondary, but still important, objective is for students to gain an understanding of Cypriot material culture and how it is used to illuminate past behaviour and the rise and development of civilization on the island. By living in a small Greek-Cypriot village, you will also gain an appreciation of both modern and traditional aspects of Cypriot culture and social life.

Students will work as members of the Kalavasos and Maroni Built Environments (KAMBE) Project, which is investigating the relationship between urban landscapes, social interaction, and social change on the island of Cyprus during the Late Bronze Age (c. 1650–1100 BCE).  They will be involved in two main components of the project, focused on the urban centre of Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios:

• excavations in the Northeast Area of the site, including the newly-discovered monumental Building XVI; and
• geophysical survey using ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry, and electromagnetic conductivity, aimed at the high resolution mapping of the site’s buried remains.

Various areas of this site were the subject of archaeological excavation from 1979–1998, which recovered tantalizing glimpses of a thriving Late Bronze Age urban centre, including monumental buildings, wealthy tombs, and domestic architecture.  Since 2008 the KAMBE Project has been trying to understand how these individual excavation areas were woven together into an overall urban fabric.  The project uses a combination of remote sensing (including geophysics, drone-based aerial survey, photogrammetry, and 3D laser scanning) and excavation to investigate how the urban landscape shaped new patterns of social interaction at this critical time in the Cypriot past.

You will stay in shared accommodations in apartments in the village of Kalavasos (about a 5-minute drive from the site). These are traditional village courtyard houses that have been renovated and updated with modern conveniences, including air conditioning. Each has a kitchen and full bathroom with shower and will house 4 or 5 students.  We eat lunch and dinner at local tavernas which serve traditional Greek food.

To be accepted for this Global Seminar, you have to meet both program-specific requirements as well as Go Global’s general eligibility.

Program-specific requirements

Open to students in Classical, Near Eastern & Religious Studies, Anthropology, Art History, History. 

CNERS students can receive a maximum of 6 credits for CNERS 335.

CNERS MA students can receive a maxium of 3 credits for CNERS 535.  

Please contact the CNERS advising office if you are unsure whether or not you can receive credit for this Global Seminar.  

CAD approx $3,300 -$3,500 + tuition and flight.

The final fee depends on the number of students in the program. Students do not pay the Go Global fee when applying to a Global Seminar. The Go Global fee is built into the Program Fee and is payable upon acceptance to the program.

All qualifying students will receive a $1000 Go Global Award. 

Adjustment on deposits

Students are eligible for an adjustment of their deposit under the following circumstances:

Withdrawal after you accept your spot in the program

• You are eligible to have your Global Seminar deposit adjusted from $750 to $93.25 (ie: you receive a $656.75 credit)

Withdrawal after deposit posted on SSC

• You are eligible to have your Global Seminar deposit adjusted from $750 to $321.75 (ie: you receive a $428.25 credit)

Withdrawal after deposit due date

• The deposit and all remaining program fees are completely non-refundable. Exceptions may be determined at the discretion of Go Global. 

Any funds allocated to students through the ARA program must be returned in their entirety.

Students who decide to withdraw their application must submit a request in writing by email to the Global Seminar Advisor at go.global@ubc.ca.

Safety Abroad

UBC is committed to preparing students for safe and successful international experiences. In order to achieve this, any student participating in a Go Global Program must complete the following:

• All UBC Student Safety Abroad requirements
• Go Global Program-specific pre-departure requirements (includes both online and in-person components)

Failure to successfully complete these and any other requirements may result in withdrawal from the Go Global Program.