HUNGARY '98
The Excavation of a Roman Villa
Old Budapest
Roman Villa from ca. 200 AD
Introduction
The Emory in Hungary Summer Program under the auspices of the Department
of History offers a seven week program in field archaeology and ancient
history in the heart of Central Europe. Monday,
25 May through Friday, 10 July 1998. We will excavate a Roman
farmstead dating from 200 to 600 AD that lies near the village of Babarc,
just 25 km outside of the city of Pécs, which
is Emory's partner in this excavation along with the Universität Passau
in Germany. The curriculum, field trips, field work, and organization are
all designed to enhance the students' knowledge and appreciation of the history
and people of this area, especially, but not exclusively, in ancient times.
All instruction will be in English.
 An Ancient Site in Pécs
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 The City of Pécs
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Why dig at all?
Perhaps because you want an insider's laugh the next
time you see an Indiana Jones movie! That much can be guaranteed. Realistically,
however, the reason to take part in any excavation is the experience of
being totally immersed in historical research yourself, a direct participant
in the discovery and understanding of the past.
As exciting as this truly is, with one's constant expectancy that the next handful of dirt will contain a sherd of Roman pottery, a beautiful ancient earring, a Roman coin, or a fragment of bone attesting to human or animal presence, seeing beyond
what is in your hand is the real thrill to be had. A teaching excavation
trains the participants in a great many aspects of recovery and interpretation,
provides a setting for making lifelong international friendships, and opens
new doors to personal discovery. The technical experiences that the students
will come away with include excavation techniques in the recovery and recording
of the finds (earth removal, photography, line-drawings, stratigraphic reconstruction),
working under expert guidance in the restoration of the finds, conducting
paleobotanical and paleozoological analyses alongside scientists, creating
a computerized database and on the site, and being introduced to ancient
numismatics and ceramics.
In addition to these archaeological skills, the
students will learn a great deal about Roman imperial history in short readings
and weekly lectures and discussions held on site (according to the weather
conditions), in our accomodations, in museums, on other excavation sites
seen on our three extended field trips, and during numerous other excursions
to be undertaken in the vicinity of Pécs. These lectures and discussions
will be organized by the director of the Emory Program, Dr. Thomas S. Burns,
and Hungarian specialists in the appropriate fields.
Emory Students At Work
What will we find?
The physical remains of a Roman farm that supplied food to citizens in the
provincial capital and to several nearby fortifications. Surveys and exploratory
field studies of our Roman villa rustica (farmstead) near Babarc
conducted 1989 - 94 have indicated that the site was continuously occupied
from ca. 200 to 600 AD.
Gold Solidus of Constantinus I (ca. AD 310-13)
Already these surveys and trial excavations have
produced over three dozen Roman coins, seven human skeletons and related
grave goods, animal bones, and large quantities of Roman ceramics such as
pottery sherds, bricks and building materials. Almost certainly more of
these items will come to light as well as many personal items that the former
inhabitants lost or discarded such as glass, jewelry, bone and metal wares
and tools, perhaps even religious items.
Site Plan showing subsurface structures at Babarc
Because of our Caesium magnetometer scans and trial trenches we know the location and outlines
of most of the subterranean remains of buildings ranging from the large
main dwelling to a peculiar absidal building nearby to numerous small structures
probably used to store animals and grains.
Why here, why at Babarc?
At least 90% of the population of the Roman Empire farmed, yet there is
very little known about late Roman agriculture in the period of transition
from a market economy based largely upon sales to the Roman army to a medieval
society existing almost entirely by subsistence farming. Once the technical
analyses of the botanical and zoological materials from Babarc are completed
and a comprehensive stratigraphy is secured from the finds, we should be
able to follow changes in the lifestyles of the farmers and their markets
with much greater precision. This knowledge in turn will greatly enhance
our understanding of all other aspects of life in the last centuries of
the Roman Empire.
The choice of Babarc was made after two years of careful
exploration in museum, archives, and discussions with local farmers in order
to discover a site for which we had reasonable assurances from surface finds
that there was continuity of settlement at least past the opening of the
fifth century AD, that is approximately 400 - 425, since surviving Roman
literature seemed to indicate that this was the period of greatest change.
Because the Western Roman Empire ceased striking everyday copper coinage
around 395 -- coins are a standard dating tool -- pinpointing such a site
was challenging.
Daily Schedule
Weather permitting we will excavate every Monday through Friday for
seven weeks, 25 May - 10 July 1998, traveling to the site each day in our
rental vans. Every other week, however, we will depart after breakfast on
Friday for a three day field trip, always returning to Pécs for Sunday
dinner. There will be three such 3-day field trips to see historical and
cultural monuments and programs: (1) Budapest and
environs, 29 -31 May; (2) Western Hungary and Lake Balaton, 12-14 June;
and (3) Eastern Hungary, including several national parks on the Great Hungarian
Plain, 26-28 June. Since Pécs was a provincial capital in the late
Roman Empire, it was also a principal episcopal center, and so it remains.
The extensive fourth century Christian catacombs
in Pécs are a treasury of popular religious art of the period.
Old Christian catacombs in Pécs
And along with Mohacs, Pécs was and is a crossroads for followers of
Islam, Judaism, and Orthodox and Catholic Christians, all of which are still
significantly represented in the predominantly Catholic population of the
area. There will be many opportunities, particularly on rainy days, to see
all these attractions and many more.
Accomodations
Everyone in the Program will reside and take their meals in a small
dormitory complex about a 20 minute walk from the main campus of the University
of Pécs, which will be in full session. We occupy one wing of a two
wing building with a common dining and staff area in the central core.
The standard room is over three times the size of the typical two person Emory
dorm room. All rooms have a balcony, four comfortable, firm mattress sofa-beds not
unlike some high quality foutons available in the USA, one in each corner.
There is a TV with stand (American programs such as movies have Hungarian
subtitles but are not dubbed-over), a coffee table and chairs, a dorm-size
refrigerator, a telephone for in-house calls. This phone can also receive
any outside call including long distance calls which must pass through the
complex's switch-board. Outside and International phone calls can
be placed in the lobby with a Hungarian phonecard. In the short hallway
outside each four-person room are ceiling-high closets for the occupants
and a full bath. This suite arrangement provides fine accomodations at affordable
rates. For a very modest additional fee, the staff will do student laundry
weekly. Each work day the staff will prepare bag lunches for the excavators.
Although we can accomodate vegetarians, not all diets can be met.
Pécs is a major Hungarian city, not only rich in history and culture, but also
boasting a modern medical school, fine city hospitals, and an extensive
municipal bus transportation system. Each student must bring two photos
for use on monthly city bus cards for their own private use.
In addition to the personal accomodations the group will have its own meeting
room with soft chairs, sofas, a group TV, and conference tables. The student dorm
keys will open this room. Our wing has its own access door to which outsiders
will not have entry. Pécs is a very clean and friendly city of 150,000
with a full summer schedule of concerts (rock, classical and folk music),
sporting events, swimming pools, etc. There should be no time or reason
for boredom.
Program Schedule and Expenses
Excavation begins on Monday, 25 May and ends on the afternoon of Friday,
10 July.
History 385M and 385N, "Archaelogical Excavation in Hungary" (all students must sign up for the full 8 hours of academic credit - ie. BOTH 4hr courses).
Tuition, $4000
Room and Board, $600
Personal Expenses (not included in fees due Emory)
- Estimated Spending Money, $400 (extensive personal travel on free
weekends or after program will require more)
- Travel to Budapest and then to Pécs (on excellent intercity
train, $20)
- Guidebooks, film, etc.
*Amount due Emory University, $4600 (tuition, $4000, Room
and Board, $600).
Application
Application for admission to the Program must be made on forms obtained
from the Office of Study Abroad Programs, 428A Candler Library, Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30322. (404) 727-0675. All applicants must submit an Emory Summer
Study Abroad application with a $250 deposit (nonrefundable in case of acceptance)
to the Study Abroad Office. This deposit will be applied to the total program
cost. The deadline for receipt of applications is April 1, 1998. Applications
will be processed as they are received, and students will be notified as
soon as possible. No applications will be accepted before 1 January 1998.
Late applications will be accepted if the Program is not yet filled.
Financial Aid
All Emory students who qualify may apply through the Office of Financial
Aid for a summer aid award to participate in Emory Summer Study Abroad.
The financial aid application deadline is March 1, 1998. Emory Courtesy
Scholarships apply to the Emory Study Abroad academic fee portion only.
Non-Emory students do not qualify for Emory financial aid, but they may
wish to inquire at their own institutions regarding financial assistance. If you have specific questions about Emory's financial aid programs, contact Gail Scheu, Coordinator of Summer Study Abroad.
Further Information
If you would like more information about the program, please contact Dr.
Thomas S. Burns, Department of History, Bowden Hall, Emory University, Atlanta,
GA 30322. EMAIL, histsb@emory.edu
Field Trips
Budapest
Budapest Subway Map
Koszeg in Western Hungary
Horses of Hortobagy in Eastern Hungary
