Program Overview

This project explores dramatic changes in Paleolithic subsistence and social organization that are key to developing a more nuanced understanding of the last 50,000 years of human evolution. The southeastern Pyrenees have a rich archaeological heritage, with human settlement spanning the Late Middle Paleolithic to the Neolithic. Focusing on the Cova Gran-Santa Linya site, this investigation examines differences in Neanderthal and anatomically modern human behavior around the MIS 3/2 limit. Cova Gran also contains deposits dating to the late Upper Paleolithic and evincing the transition from hunter-gatherer to shepherd-farmer subsistence practices.

Working alongside colleagues and students from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (www.uab.es/cepap), field school students will be exposed to a wide range of archaeological techniques and methods all the while learning about heritage management and scientific research design.

Instructor Bio

Dr. Jorge Martinez-Moreno (jorge.martinez@uab.cat) is Research Associate at CEPAP, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. He is developing  the Human settlement in the Pyrenees in the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene. He was post-doc at University of California, Santa Cruz.

Dr. Rafael Mora is Professor at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. He has extensive experience excavating in Catalunya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. He has an ICREA-Award for excellence in research in the Catalunya University system.

Dr. Alfonso Benito Calvo is Director of Geomorphological section at the Centro Nacional de Estudios sobre Evolucion Humana, Burgos. He forms part of the Atapuerca staff and is collaborating with Cova Gran Project from 2004.

Student Fees

Program Costs

All fees are payable to the Institute for Field Research. Eight semester credit units are provided through Connecticut College. Program fee includes registration, accommodations, program activities, meals on workdays, and health insurance.

Airfare, weekend meals, and optional excursions are additional.

Financial Aid

Please inquire about Financial Aid at your home institution.  For details about the financial aid application process, please visit the Financial Aid section of this web site.

Budgeting

How much to budget depends on your travel, entertainment and souvenir choices. It is always best to overestimate your spending. We recommend that you budget accordingly to cover optional sightseeing, laundry, internet cafes, emergencies, etc.

Expenses NOT Covered:

-Airfare to/from the pre-designated meeting place for the field school.
-Food on weekends when away from the site.
-Miscellaneous expenses.
-Sightseeing outside formal field school excursions as outlined on the syllabus.

Accommodations

Students will stay at the Alberg la Cova hostel (visit the hostel website by clicking here.), at the heart of Sant Llorenc de Montgai village. The village is approximately 30 km north of Lleida (Catalunya, Spain). The building has excellent facilities with communal space, kitchen, shower, laundry and free internet access. Sleeping bags are not necessary but students are welcome to bring them. Students will share communal bedrooms (6-8 people in each room). All team members must participate in setting tables for meals and do the washing up and clean common shared spaces after lunch and dinner (living room, bedroom and the yard). 

MEALS:

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided by the program Mon-Sat. On Sundays, students may choose to take their meals at the different local restaurants in the area. While the project may accommodate some dietary needs, you must communicate directly with project directors to ensure your needs can be met in the field. In general, vegetarian diets may be afforded but other types of diet may be more challenging to be managed.

Please let us know when you apply for this program if you have special dietary needs, as well as any medical or physical conditions. We will advise you accordingly. The project is used to catering for vegetarians, those with gluten intolerance etc.

Travel Information

Students will meet at the Bar-Cafeteria at Lleida-Pyrenees RENFE Railway Station on June 30th at 5:00pm (17 hr). Trains to the Lleida-Pyrenees Station depart frequently from Sants RENFE Train Station at Barcelona.  Trains from the Barcelona airport to the Sants Station depart every 30 minutes. For train schedule between the Sants and the Lleida Pireineus Stations, click here. 

While at Sant LLorenç de Montgai, students will be accomodated at the:

Alberg La Cova
c/ Major 11
25613 Sant Llorenç de Montgai
Lleida, Spain
Phone: (34) 973 420306

Although the field school will be completed on Friday, August 2, students are welcome to stay at the Alberg la Cova hostal in Sant Llorenc de Montgai over Friday night and leave on Saturday morning for onward travel or return home.  You can visit the Alberg La Cova website by clicking here. Please note, the website is in Catalan and Spanish, but the Englision version will work soon.

VISA REQUIREMENTS:

A passport is required for entry to Spain. A visa is not required for tourist or business stays up to 90 days. For further information concerning entry requirements, please visit the US State Department Spain webpage by clicking here.

Please indicate tourism as your reason for travel on your visa or other forms when you enter Spain.

We recommend you make photocopies of your passport and airline tickets and placed them separately from the originals to prevent it from being lost or stolen.

HEALTH ISSUES:

For specific information regarding travel health issues pertinent to Spain, please read the Centers for Disease Control Website. Click here to be be directed to the CDC website.

Student Testimonials

“The [Cova Gran field school] experience was incredible for me. I learned countless things, regarding archaeology, culture, history, and even a little Spanish. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go and work here, and I will treasure the memory of my experience working in Cova Gran with all of the wonderful people who helped to teach me.”

-Zoe Warganz, USC (2012)

“I found the entire field school well run. I learned a lot about excavating in general and enjoyed working in such an area with such a diverse time period. The team was wonderful, patient and always ready to answer questions. Initially I found working very intimidating, but the casual atmosphere and approachable people made this experience very rewarding and something I would love to repeat again in the future.”

-Yolanda Chen, UCLA (2012)

“I believe that one of the most important aspects of archaeology that I learnt in these past weeks- which I could have never learnt in a classroom- is how much of a team effort the discipline is. This field school facilitated the learning experience and made it incredibly enjoyable.”

-Rebecca Haboucha, University of Montreal, Canada (2012)

"The Cova Gran field school program was very intellectually stimulating. The students were constantly kept up to date with what was happening in the bigger picture of the site, and we were even asked for our input for certain decisions and theories."

-Craig McNeill, University of Waterloo, Canada (2012)