Program Overview

Research visa applications to the Turkish Government are due Nov. 24 so interested students must act with haste. 

Turkey has evidence of one of the earliest transitions from hunting and gathering to village farming in the world, but the early Neolithic of central Turkey is poorly understood. The Boncuklu project is investigating the appearance of the first villages and farmers in central Turkey. At Boncuklu we are also exploring the origins of the remarkable symbolism seen in paintings and reliefs at the nearby famous Neolithic town of Çatalhöyük. Well preserved decorated Neolithic houses and artifacts are notable features of Boncuklu. Working alongside experts in the analysis of evidence from early farming communities and professional excavators, students will learn a range of archaeological research techniques and methods and learn about the wider context of Anatolian archaeology.

Click here from the Boncuklu Project website

Instructor Bio

Dr. Douglas Baird (dbaird@liverpool.ac.uk) is Head of the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool. He has directed 5 major field projects in Turkey and the Middle East.

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, meals on workdays, program activities 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 based at the Boncuklu Project excavation centre. The dig house has good communal facilities with kitchen, several showers and toilets, washing machine, and laboratories. There is outdoor covered dining and social space.

MEALS:

Meals are provided during workdays (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Students are responsible for their own meals on days off, if staying at the compound food is available but on a self-catered basis. If on an independent trip on a day off students are responsible for their own food.

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.

EXCURSIONS:

Three excursions are planned within the course. 1) an extended visit to the nearby site of Çatalhöyük; 2) a visit to the nearby city of Konya with its Selcuk remains and a range of museums. 3) A weekend in Cappadocia visiting Neolithic sites and the famous Byzantine underground cities.

This program has limited free time for independent sightseeing. Please consult with the Director about independent travel during the program.

Travel Information

You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements. If you want to visit Istanbul before or after the project, a very worthwhile experience as Istanbul is one of the world’s great cities, you might want to fly there and take an overnight sleeper train to Konya (13 hours), or less comfortable but slightly quicker an overnight bus (11hours). An alternative is to fly to Ankara and take the express train form Ankara to Konya (1.5 hours).

Please consult the Director closer to the course for specific travel advice. Students should arrange pick-ups in Konya airport/bus station/train station with the Director in advance of arrival.

VISA REQUIREMENTS:

A passport with at least six months of validity remaining is required. To work on a project in Turkey all non-Turkish team members require a research visa in their passports. This is issued through local embassies and consulates following the issue of the project permit by the Turkish authorities. This requires that all team members are listed on the permit application with their local consulate or embassy indicated. Please consult with the Director about the permit application process. No travel should be arranged until the date for the issue of the permit is indicated by the Turkish authorities. For further information, please consult the U.S. State Department website.

HEALTH ISSUES:

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

Student Testimonials

This is a new program and no student testimonials are available.