Project Description

Overview

The Panlongcheng site is an urban settlement in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River dating to the early Bronze Age (1600-1300BC), and is also a national cultural heritage park. In the upcoming years, a five-week summer archaeological field school and research program at Panlongcheng will focus on the landscape and environment, the daily life of the settlement, and the nature of resource utilization and social organization at the site. Students will conduct field excavations and data analysis at Panlongcheng to gain an in-depth understanding of the characteristics and development of the early bronze civilization in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and will join special research projects on pottery and stone tools, remote sensing archaeology, and zooarchaeology. Students will not only learn to master the general methods of modern field archaeology, but also understand the role of fieldwork as a catalyst for research and its significance to the local community, laying the foundation for future research-oriented fieldwork.

Download 2024 Syllabus
Course Details
Course Dates June 23 – July 28,2024
Course Type Archaeology
Instructors Prof. Changping Zhang & Dr. Zhuo Sun
Credits* 8 semester (12 quarter)
Apply By April 1
Fees Due By Summer 1 (May 1)
Program Fees
Tuition $4,450
Transcript Fee* $300
Health & Evacuation Insurance $150
Room & Board $805
TOTAL: $5,705
Application Closed*

*This program may accept students past the deadline. Email admissions@ifrglobal.org for more information.

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.

Prof. Changping Zhang
Prof. Changping Zhang
Changping Zhang is a senior professor in the Archaeology Department at Wuhan University, China.
Prof. Zhuo Sun
Prof. Zhuo Sun
Zhuo Sun is an associate professor in the Archaeology Department at Wuhan University, China.
Xin Su
Xin Su
Xin Su is a Ph.D. Candidate of Anthropological Archaeology in the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University and a graduate student associate at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies.
Prof. Zou Qiushi
Prof. Zou Qiushi
Qiushi Zou is an associate professor in the Archaeology Department at Wuhan University, China.

Testimonials

This is a new IFR field school. No student testimonials are available at this time.

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

During the period of the field school, students and staff will live at the Jinjiang Inn Select (hotel) near the Panlongcheng site. Students will be housed in double rooms with attached bathrooms. 

Food is provided Monday to Saturday (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Breakfast for participants will be provided by the hotel in the hotel restaurant, while lunch and dinner will be provided by the cafeteria of the archaeological workstation at the Panlongcheng site. The daily diet in Wuhan is heavily based on rice, noodles, and vegetables. Specialized diets (vegan, kosher, etc.) are not very easy to maintain in this location. We will try to be as flexible as possible and offer some special diets, but you need to let us know in advance. 

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.

Students may travel to Wuhan by train to the Wuhan Station and Hankou Station or may fly to the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WHU). To make it easier for the program coordinators to meet you, please arrange to arrive on June 23 between 11 AM and 2 PM at the airport or train station. Those who miss the meeting time can take the public transportation or a taxi to the Jinjiang Inn Select (Wuhan Tianhe Airport Branch).

Please note that train tickets often sell out in summer and should be purchased well in advance through a website such as trains.ctrip.com or www.12306.cn. There are many domestic flights and trains to Wuhan from different points of entry into China, such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing, and some international flights go to Wuhan directly.

The address of the Jinjiang Inn Select (Wuhan Tianhe Airport Branch) is: No. 5 Commercial Building, F. Airport Center, No.157 Panlong Avenue, Panlongcheng, Huangpi District, 430200 Wuhan, China. 锦江之星宾馆(武汉天河机场店), 湖北省武汉市黄陂区盘龙大道157号F空港中心5号商业楼

  • From Wuhan Tihanhe International Airport:
    • Take the subway (Wuhan Metro Line 2) to the Julong Dadao (巨龙大道) at the airport, then go outside through Exit B (totally 4 RMB).
    • Take a taxi at the airport directly to the hotel and it will take about 40 RMB.
  • From Wuhan Station (high speed railway station): 
    • Take the Wuhan Metro Line 4 (Bolin Direction 柏林方向) at Wuhan Station (武汉站),then transfer to Wuhan Metro Line 8 (Jinyintan Direction 金银潭方向) at Yuejiazui (岳家嘴), then transfer to Wuhan Metro Line 2 (Tianhe Airport Direction 天河机场方向) at Hongtu Dadao (宏图大道), eventually arrive at Julong Dadao (巨龙大道) and then go outside through Exit B (totally 7 RMB). 
    • Take a taxi to the hotel directly, and it will take about 80 RMB
  • From Hankou Station: 
    • Take the subway (Wuhan Metro Line 2) to the Julong Dadao (巨龙大道) at the train station, then go outside through Exit B (totally 5 RMB).
    • Take a taxi at the airport directly to the hotel and it will take about 40 RMB.

VISA REQUIREMENTS
Non-Chinese participants are required to secure a tourist visa to China prior to arrival. You should apply for the visa several months ahead of time. Please visit the visa page of Chinese Embassy in your own country for more information and required paper work. Here is a guidance for your reference. 

All students could apply for a short-term study visa (X2 visa), and you will receive an official admission letter from School of History, Wuhan University after you are accepted by this summer school. 

Student Safety

The IFR primary concern is with education. Traveling and conducting field research involve risk. Students interested in participating in IFR programs must weigh whether the potential risk is worth the value of education provided. While risk is inherent in everything we do, we do not take risk lightly. The IFR engages in intensive review of each field school location prior to approval. Once a program is accepted, the IFR reviews each program annually to make sure it complies with all our standards and policies, including student safety.

Students attending IFR international programs are covered by a comprehensive Health Insurance policy that includes physical illness or injury, mental or chronic conditions. No deductible and 100% of costs are covered up to $250,000. In addition, we provide Political and Natural Disaster Evacuation policy, which allow us to remove students from field school location if local conditions change. Our field school directors are scholars that know field school locations and cultures well and are plugged in into local communities and state institution structures.

Students attending IFR domestic programs (within the US) must have their own health insurance and provide proof upon enrollment. IFR field school directors are familiar with local authorities and if in need of evacuation, local emergency services and/or law enforcement will be notified and activated.

The IFR has strong, explicit and robust policy towards discrimination and harassment in the field. If students feel they cannot discuss personal safety issues with field school staff, the IFR operates an emergency hotline where students may contact IFR personnel directly.

Call (877-839-4374) or email (info@ifrglobal.org) if you have questions about the safety of any particular program.