New Program! All new programs for summer 2027 are currently under review by IFR’s Academic Board. We anticipate offering this program, but changes may be made during the review process.
Overview
Just outside the town of Nova Zagora in southern Bulgaria, a 12-meter-high settlement mound preserves traces of life from the Early Bronze Age, a period of major movement and cultural contact across the Eastern Balkans. In this archaeology field school, you will excavate the mound site of Tell Nenova, helping researchers uncover what was happening in the Balkans during the same transformative period associated with Troy farther south, when communities across southeastern Europe were increasingly connected with the Eurasian steppes, Anatolia, and the wider Aegean world. Recent excavations at this site have revealed a stone wall and a major destruction layer from the 3rd millennium BCE, raising new questions about life at the settlement and what happened during its decline. You will join an international research team helping to answer these questions, all while developing hands-on excavation skills and exploring Bulgaria’s surrounding Thracian Valley.
Field school highlights:
- Build practical skills in excavation, stratigraphic recording, digital mapping, artifact processing and more.
- Work on a 12-meter-high, 150-meter-wide Bronze Age tell in a region known for one of Europe’s highest concentrations of prehistoric mound settlements.
- Explore Bulgaria beyond the dig through program excursions to Neolithic settlements and the Valley of the Thracian Kings.
| Course Details | |
|---|---|
| Course Dates | July 18 – August 14, 2027 |
| Course Type | Archaeology |
| Instructors | Dr. Philipp W. Stockhammer, Dr. Bogdan Athanassov |
| Credits* | TBA semester (TBA quarter) |
| Early Deadline | December 1 |
| Fees Due By | April 15 |
| Program Fees | (2027) |
|---|---|
| Tuition | TBA |
| Transcript Fee* | $350 |
| Health & Evacuation Insurance | TBA |
| Room & Board | TBA |
| TOTAL: | TBA |
Applications accepted on a rolling basis until program fills or final deadline passes.
*Please email admissions@ifrglobal.org for any application issues.
Instructors
The directors welcome emails and inquiries about the research elements of this project. More general information (tuition, health insurance, and payment schedule) can be found under the ‘Students’ tab above. Any further questions may be addressed to IFR staff. Additional details about research, course schedule, travel, accommodation, and safety can be found on the syllabus. Contacting the directors or the IFR office is encouraged and appreciated. It may help you determine if this field school is a good fit for you.
Payment & Student Fees
Application Fee: There is a $45 fee to submit an online application.
Deposit Payment: A nonrefundable $500 deposit is due within 3 weeks of program acceptance in order to secure your place. The remainder of your program fees are due by the deadline indicated under “Course Details”.
*Transcript Fee & Academic Credit Opt Out: If you wish to participate in an IFR field school without earning academic credits, you will not be charged a transcript fee.
For more information about payment, fees, and policies, please see details under our Payment & Finances and Withdrawal and Cancellation Policy pages.
Accommodations
You will share a double room in a hotel in Nova Zagora. The accommodations will include access to a kitchen and laundry facilities.
Meals: All meals are provided on this program. Breakfast is prepared at the hotel, with lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Unfortunately due to the limited food options in Nova Zagora, this program cannot accommodate gluten-free, Kosher, or Halal diets. However, vegetarians diets are ok. If you have a specific food allergy, please check to see if it’s possible to be accommodated on this program.
Travel Info
Natural disasters, political changes, weather conditions and various other factors may force the cancellation or alteration of a field school. IFR recommends students only purchase airline tickets that are fully refundable and consider travel insurance in case a program or travel plans must change for any reason.
General information for this program is below, but keep in mind we will discuss any updated travel information and regulations during the required program orientation, which could affect travel plans.
You should plan to fly to the Sofia airport the morning of your program start date and then make your way to Nova Zagora. The program can arrange shared group shuttles for a fee, or you may take the public bus from Sofia’s central bus station. Be aware the bus ride from Sofia to Nova Zagora is 3-4 hours. Shared shuttles take about 2.5 hours and will be arranged closer to the program start date, but you should plan to arrive by 1:00 pm if you want to use this option.
If you cannot arrive on a morning flight, you may want to arrive the night before and stay over in Sofia before traveling to Nova Zagora the next day.