Senior Evan Joachim, double majoring in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations (AMC) and Classical Studies, also received the 2024Â Charles Garside AMC Summer Travel Award and HART Lovett Travel Fellowship this year which funded two of their archaeological excavation programs in Italy this past summer.
Learn more about their exciting finds and experience during the programs:
"The first, the Cosa Excavations near Ansedonia, focused on the excavation of a Late Republic/Early Imperial bath complex. This excavation season was 4.5 weeks long, during which I participated in work in three trenches, helped clean and conserve artifacts, and learned about various documentation and organization techniques. Some of the most exciting artifacts that were found at Cosa this season included: a cat skeleton buried under the floor in an amphora, a waterspout in the shape of a dog (with a collar!), multiple oil lamps, multiple bronze coins, two column bases, and an extension of a road/curb! A trash midden was also uncovered that produced immense amounts of potsherds and bones. Notably, I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop on photogrammetry in which I learned how to use a scanner to produce 3D renderings of artifacts we found in the field, allowing for research to be done on these objects outside of the field and back in the States. The site of Cosa lies along the Tyrhennian coast, so after long days of digging in direct sun on site, I was able to relax at the beach and watch the sunset—a much needed break.
After the excavation season at Cosa concluded, I immediately travelled to another small town in Tuscany: Murlo. Here, I participated in the Poggio Civitate Archaeological Field School, a 5.5 week excavation of an important, domestic Etruscan site. This was my second season working at Poggio Civitate as I had the opportunity to participate in the field school in the summer of 2023."
The Charles Garside AMC Summer Travel Grant supports archaeological training and course-related fieldwork abroad for AMC majors. It is named in honor of the late Charles Garside, a beloved professor of History at Rice, and is generously supported by Rice graduate and Humanities Advisory Board member Bruce Dunlevie.
