KAFS 2020 Course Diary
DOWNLOAD THE NEW 2020 BOOKING FORM USING THE LINKS BELOW
PDF format by clicking here
WORD format by clicking here
EXCAVATING AT OPLONTIS NEXT TO POMPEII, ITALY - MAY/JUNE 2020 - CANCELLED. PLANNING IS STARTING FOR A 2021 SEASON NEXT YEAR
We will be back in Oplontis (left) in the first three
weeks in May/June 2020 for another season of
excavation but be quick as last year we were fully
booked. And if you are booked the only criteria is
that you are a member of the Kent Archaeological
Field School and that you have
some experience or enthusiasm for Roman
archaeology, Italian food and Italian sunshine! See
also the website for the project at
www.oplontisproject.org. Please note food,
accommodation, insurance, and travel are not
provided. Please note food, accommodation, insurance, and travel are not provided.

Flights to Naples are probably cheapest with EasyJet. To get to Pompeii take a bus from the Naples airport
to the railway station and then the local train to Pompeii. Hotels are about 50eu for a room per night.
We are staying at are the Motel Villa dei Misteri and the Hotel degli Amici - info@villademisteri.it, info@hoteldegliamici.it. For camping the site Camping Zeus is next to the hotel: info@campingzeus.it and
is about 12eu a night.Transport to Oplontis from Pompeii is not provided but most of the group use the
local train (one stop). Please note it can be hot so bring sun cream and insect repellent! Any queries email
me at info@kafs.co.uk or in Naples call my mobile on 07885 700 112. We will meet up at 8am every
Monday morning of the dig at Motel Villa dei Misteri to start the new week.
Cost for members is £125 for the week (Monday to Friday), with the last week free!
Field Walking and Map Analysis May Bank Holiday Friday May 8th and Saturday May
9th 2020 - CANCELLED
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Field work at its most basic involves walking across the landscape recording
features seen on the ground. On this weekend course we are concerned with
recognising and recording artefacts found within the plough soil. These include flint
tools, Roman building material, pottery, glass and metal artefacts.
One of the uses of field walking is to
build up a database for large-scale regional archaeological surveys. We will consider the importance of
regressive map analysis as part of this procedure. The course will cover:
1. Strategies and procedures
2. Standard and non-standard line walking, grid walking
3. Pottery distribution, identifying pottery and building ceramics
We will be in the field in the afternoons so suitable clothing will be necessary.
Cost £10 if membership is taken out at the time of booking. For non-members the cost will be £25.
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Wye Roman Villa and Water mill: Friday 10th April to Sunday 19th April 2020 - Cancelled (due to uncertainty regarding Coronavirus)
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Archaeological excavation on the site of a recently discovered Roman Villa and water mill at Wye in Kent.

On this ten day investigation we shall look at the ways in which archaeological sites are discovered and
excavated and how different types of finds are studied to reveal the lives of former peoples. Subjects
discussed will include aerial photography, regressive map analysis, HER data, and artefact identification.
Within this investigation there is a five day course from Monday 13th April to Friday 17th April which will
be especially useful for those new to archaeology, as well as those considering studying the subject further.
After tea break we will participate in an archaeological investigation on a Roman building under expert
tuition. Expert diggers are not required to participate in the tool box talks.
Cost for members is £50 for the week or £10 a day if membership is taken out at the time of booking. For non-members the cost will be £75 for the week or £15 a day.
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Training Week for Students on a Roman Water Mill at Wye in Kent - Cancelled (due to uncertainty regarding Coronavirus)
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t is essential
that anyone thinking of digging on an archaeological site is trained in the procedures
used in professional archaeology. Dr Paul Wilkinson, author of the bestselling
"Archaeology" book and Director of the dig, will spend five days explaining to participants the methods
used in modern archaeology. A typical training day will be classroom theory in the morning (at the Field
School) followed by excavation at the Roman Water Mill at Wye.

Topics taught each day are:
Monday 13th April (Bank Holiday): Why dig?
Tuesday 14th April: Excavation Techniques
Wednesday 15th April: Site Survey
Thursday 16th April: Archaeological Recording
Friday 17th April: Small Finds
Saturday and Sunday: (free) digging with the team.
A free PDF copy of "Archaeology" 3rd Edition will be given to participants.
Cost for the course is £100 if membership is taken out at the time of
booking plus a Certificate of Attendance. The day starts at 10am and
finishes at 4.00pm. For directions to the Field School see 'Where' on the KAFS website.
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Excavating at 'Villa B' at Oplontis next to Pompeii
in Italy: 25th May to 19th June 2020 - CANCELLED. PLANNING IS SATARTING FOR A 2021 SEASON NEXT YEAR
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We will be spending four weeks in association with
the University of Texas investigating the Roman
Emporium (Villa B) at Oplontis adjacent to Villa A
(left) next to Pompeii. The site offers a unique
opportunity to dig on iconic World Heritage Site in
Italy and is a wonderful once in a lifetime
opportunity.
The only criteria to book is that you are a member
of the Kent Archaeological Field School and that you have some experience or enthusiasm for Roman archaeology, Italian food
and Italian sunshine! See also the website for the project at www.oplontisproject.org. Please note food,
accommodation, insurance, and travel are not provided.
Flights to Naples are probably cheapest with EasyJet. To get to Pompeii take a bus from the Naples airport
to the railway station and then the local train to Pompeii. Hotels are about 50eu for a room per night.
We are staying at are the Motel Villa dei Misteri and the Hotel degli Amici - info@villademisteri.it, info@hoteldegliamici.it. For camping the site Camping Zeus is next to the hotel: info@campingzeus.it and
is about 12eu a night.
Transport to Oplontis from Pompeii is not provided but most of the group use the
local train (one stop). Please note it can be hot so bring sun cream and insect repellent! Any queries email
me at info@kafs.co.uk or in Naples call my mobile on 07885 700 112. We will meet up at 8am every
Monday morning of the dig at Motel Villa dei Misteri to start the new week.
Email Paul Wilkinson at info@swatarchaeology.co.uk for further details.

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September 5th to 13th 2020.
Investigation of Prehistoric features
at Hollingbourne in Kent
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An opportunity to participate in
excavating and recording prehistoric
features in the landscape. The week
is to be spent in excavating Bronze
and Iron Age features located with
aerial photography and geophysical
survey.
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Starry starry night......
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The Roman city of Arelate, today known as Arles,
France, was one of the most important ports of the
later Roman Empire. After siding with Julius Caesar
during his civil war against Pompey, the town was
formally established as a Roman colony for Caesar’s
veterans in 46 or 45 B.C. Strategically located along
the Rhône River in southern Gaul, Arelate developed
into such a major economic, political, and cultural
center that it was referred to as the “little Rome of
the Gauls” by the fourth-century poet Ausonius.
Today, the city’s left bank, which served as the Roman
settlement’s civic and administrative heart, is strewn
with the remnants of ancient monuments: a theatre,
an amphitheatre, baths, and a circus. It has long been
thought that the city’s right bank was far less
developed in the early Roman period, only witnessing
significant growth decades or centuries later.
However, this perception of ancient Arles is beginning
to change as an ongoing investigation uncovers parts
of a wealthy Roman residential area, providing new evidence of the early development of Arles’ periphery
and also revealing some of the finest Roman
wall paintings found anywhere in France.
The Kent Archaeological Field School is planning
to take a group of KAFS members by train from
Ashford in Kent down to Arles and staying at a
medieval hotel in the centre of Arles with day
trips to Nimes, Pont du Gard, the Roman city of
Glanum and lots lots more. To register your
interest email info@kafs.co.uk for further
detais. Price of the trip will be at cost.
***Trip postponed until 2021***
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