Graduate European
Archaeology Skills Exchange (GrEASE)
Placement dates: 7th July to 11th August 2008
Duration: 5 weeks
Number of places: 8
The placement in Bulgaria will focus on the ongoing excavations at the impressive medieval Cherven Fortress. The host of the placement is the Regional Museum of Rousse. Our previous four archaeology placements at Cherven have been a great success. Finds have included a great deal of pottery and the remains of small scale craft workshops and kiln bases outside of the fortifications. In 2004 the participants discovered and excavated medieval graves close to one of the church sites in the Cherven complex, leading to the first re-burial ceremony of archaeologically excavated human remains in Bulgaria. The 2005 placement continued with the excavations surrounding 'church number 11' in the Cherven complex and uncovered the foundations of buildings and human remains.
Grampus has also cooperated with the Rousse Regional Museum under the EU Culture 2000 programme on the 'CHASM' project, which can be linked to from the Grampus homepage. We are delighted to work in cooperation with the Regional Museum of Rousse again in 2008.
Read the placement itinerary from 2007, provided by the Regional Museum of Rousse.
Read the report written by Jessica Herweg, a participant on the 2004 Bulgaria placement.
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Images from the 2005 Cherven Excavations
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Excavating the boundary wall
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Cleaning the site ready for presentation to the public |
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Excavated area at the North Boundary Wall
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The stunning Roussenski Lom Valley
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Male skeleton under excavation in 2005
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The 2005 GrEASE excavation team
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More images from Cherven...
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An outdoor theatre event staged at the fortress
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Grave cuts in the bedrock, excavated in 2004
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Opening the first trench in 2001
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Steps leading to the well at the base of the cliff
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The Cherven tower, symbol of the fortress
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Colecting ceramic fragments at the 'workshop' excavations
in 2001
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View from Cherven into the limestone valley, location
of several 'rock monasteries'.
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