George Ciotlausi, the supervisor of our Archaeology program in Romania, has written in an update on what our volunteers have been working on the last couple of years. It is a program that is close to my heart as I first got involved with Projects Abroad as an Archaeology volunteer in the summer of 2003! I not only was a member of the first Projects Abroad dig in Harsova but I fondly remember camping in the Transylvanian woods with the other volunteers and Sorin at Racos. Ah, the memories but enough about me! George take it away …

Ready to explore

By George Ciotlausi

Hello my name is George Ciotlausi and I run the Archaeology program in Romania. I would like to tell you a little of what I do.

Last year was the time when the Projects Abroad Archeology project had its 5 year anniversary. It started quite a small project and it was more like an experiment to begin. However, these days we don’t need to look for a place to dig like the old times. The archeologists know the reputation of us and what we are capable of. Over the years Projects Abroad volunteers have taken part in almost 30 archeological campaigns which has spanned the Neolithic times until the late medieval times.

In 2003 the project began and this saw the original contacts with the first archeologist. It was managed by Sorin Sapojnic who went on three major diggings: Racos, Harsova, Bordusani. It was also the time when the first research was done for Saxon Churches.

Working on a dig

Much more after the jump on George’s tenure
I arrived as the head of the program and we increased the number of sights volunteers were able to excavate. Sibiu was our big digging site for 2005. The old medieval city was preparing itself to become one of the European capitals of culture. The restoration of Huet square required archeological diggings and the research of almost 2000 Saxon graves. This project kept us busy for several months. After that we went to the Danube on two Neolithic Tells and we ended the year with the digging at the amazing Brukenthal Pallace from Avrig.

In 2006, and in collaboration with the Sarmizegetusa Cultural Association, we launched a major project in reconstructing and studying an ancient Dacian weapon: the falx. We continued through the year with medieval diggings in Pancota and at the Saxon Church from Rupea. There were also Roman, post-Roman and medieval digs at Alba Iulia, high in the amazing Transylvanian mountains.

On the road

Last year we concentrated on digging churches - we started with a Hungarian one in Sic, continued with the Romano-Catholic cathedral in Alba Iulia and finishing with a monastery in the south of Romania, Gaiseni. Last year was also the time of one of the most interesting digging that I ever saw and it happened in Simleu Silvaniei. The ruins of the old Bathory castle revealed a lot of remarkable information and artifacts. This digging will continue this year and we will be there to help and to learn.

What is archeology? Well most of the people describe some kind of Indiana Jones style person who goes all over the world and gets his hands on precious gold artifacts. From all of this maybe only the outfit has something to do with the real world. A hat, a bottle of water and loose-fitting clothes, so the air can circulate inside them, are some of the tools for the sunny days when you are on a digging site. The machete, shotgun and the whip can definitely be left at home though.

Gold is not the main thing you will find on an archeological site and it is not the main thing wanted. First of all there is a lot of dust, pieces of pottery spread all over the place, ancient structures and bones. Sometimes human bones, teeth and metallic objects.

Why is all of this fascinating? Well why not? You learn about the past and the people that lived in other times and you realize that there is not much of a difference between you and them. You become like a detective having as witness only the artifacts, the structures and the bones to make sense of it all. There is the opportunity to learn new things on every dig, to improve yourself, to see new places and to meet new people. It all about working hard and having fun at the bottom of a dusty trench or sitting around a campfire somewhere isolated in the Transylvanian mountains…

By Walter Duran Espinoza,

My name is Walter Duran Espinoza I am Peruvian but now live in England. I worked for Projects Abroad for four years as the Inca ProjectSupervisor where my work was the organization, coordination, planning and many other things so that the volunteer project ran smoothly.

Walter an volunteers on an expedition to Patacancha

It was a great time since I had the opportunity to share many experiences, meet people, have good times and fun but everything in the name of good work. I met volunteers from many different nationalities, races, ages and hundreds of volunteers have passed through the project in 4 years. We lived like a local family where we shared a great house with the staff group that worked to create a friendly and local atmosphere, now I must tell you that we do in the Inca Project.

1. Archaeological work, this work under an agreement between the INC and Projects Abroad includes cleaning, restoration and sometimes even excavation work on the archaeological zones in the Province of La Convencion (Huyro) where the project is currently based. To make this works successful we need lots of volunteers and equipment to do the best possible job, so you can be sure on having all of the necessary help and direct participation for the programmed works during your stay.

Archaeological work

2. Community work, with the best spirit of collaboration we have a part of the project that tries to help the community that we live in. This help consists of helping to improve local infrastructures (painting school walls, tables and chairs etc), dental campaigns for local kids, sports projects with local school kids or organising social events for local groups. Other activities we have done include planting and cultivating our own food in the kitchen garden at the community house this includes fruit trees, vegetables and looking after the small farm of chickens and ducks and also a programme of reforestation of native plants on the surrounding hillsides.

Dental campaign

3. Expeditions are a really great part of the project. We do expeditions in order to look for new archaeological sites in the surrounding local area and also visit other local famous ruins of the Cusco region in order to understand better the site we are working on. To make this happen the project staff organise all necessary logistics and transport that will be needed for this.

We invite you to become part of this great adventure and new experience with the Inca Project. You could be part of this great work that we are doing with the goals of finding out more about and showing the World the ‘new’ archaeological sites that we have discovered and at the same time working with local people and groups. Come and join the Project Inca so that you could become part of the new history in the making in Peru!

To learn more about the Inca Project click here

By Walter Duran Espinoza,

My name is Walter Duran Espinoza I am Peruvian but now live in England. I worked for Projects Abroad for four years as the Inca ProjectSupervisor where my work was the organization, coordination, planning and many other things so that the volunteer project ran smoothly.

Walter an volunteers on an expedition to Patacancha

It was a great time since I had the opportunity to share many experiences, meet people, have good times and fun but everything in the name of good work. I met volunteers from many different nationalities, races, ages and hundreds of volunteers have passed through the project in 4 years. We lived like a local family where we shared a great house with the staff group that worked to create a friendly and local atmosphere, now I must tell you that we do in the Inca Project.

1. Archaeological work, this work under an agreement between the INC and Projects Abroad includes cleaning, restoration and sometimes even excavation work on the archaeological zones in the Province of La Convencion (Huyro) where the project is currently based. To make this works successful we need lots of volunteers and equipment to do the best possible job, so you can be sure on having all of the necessary help and direct participation for the programmed works during your stay.

Archaeological work

2. Community work, with the best spirit of collaboration we have a part of the project that tries to help the community that we live in. This help consists of helping to improve local infrastructures (painting school walls, tables and chairs etc), dental campaigns for local kids, sports projects with local school kids or organising social events for local groups. Other activities we have done include planting and cultivating our own food in the kitchen garden at the community house this includes fruit trees, vegetables and looking after the small farm of chickens and ducks and also a programme of reforestation of native plants on the surrounding hillsides.

Dental campaign

3. Expeditions are a really great part of the project. We do expeditions in order to look for new archaeological sites in the surrounding local area and also visit other local famous ruins of the Cusco region in order to understand better the site we are working on. To make this happen the project staff organise all necessary logistics and transport that will be needed for this.

We invite you to become part of this great adventure and new experience with the Inca Project. You could be part of this great work that we are doing with the goals of finding out more about and showing the World the ‘new’ archaeological sites that we have discovered and at the same time working with local people and groups. Come and join the Project Inca so that you could become part of the new history in the making in Peru!

To learn more about the Inca Project click here

Our dear North American readers and global visitors who happen upon www.projects-abroad.org may have noticed an overhaul to our website as of last Friday. If you didn’t, then shame on you.

This particular project has been close to my heart and a collaborative effort by several of our offices around the world. Working together, we were able to make Projects Abroad history with this fabulous piece on the World Wide Web. I do hope you enjoy the outcome of all our blood, sweat, and tears!

-Kelsy Nelson