Project Description
IFR policy requires that prior to traveling, all field school students must have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series AND received the most recent booster dose recommended by the CDC, if eligible.
All IFR field school applicants should familiarize themselves with IFR COVID-19 Practices BEFORE enrolling in a program. These practices are subject to change as health and risk management experts provide new recommendations and best practices.
You may want to refer to the following websites to stay informed of COVID-19 case numbers and regulations/policies for Turkey:
Overview
The Boncuklu field school investigates a pivotal transition in human history: the shift from a hunter-gatherer society to a farming civilization. The site dates to c. 8500 BCE, the earliest Neolithic village in central Anatolia and the predecessor of the famous Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük. Located in the Konya Plain in central Turkey, Boncuklu lies 40 kms east of the major city of Konya, a famous Medieval centre where the ‘whirling dervish’ sect was founded by the Medieval philosopher, Celaleddin Rumi. Students in the Boncuklu field school will work alongside expert archaeologists, learning and applying field research methods to expose the remains that tell the tales of the reality of life in the earliest farming settlements. The full gamut of archaeological field methods will be taught in this program: survey, excavation, laboratory analysis, artifact cataloging, and conservation. Students will also engage in the intellectual challenges presented by archaeological research, participating in research design, interpreting data, and the continual readjustment of hypotheses and field strategies with regard to information recovered in the field. The deep immersion in the site is complimented by an incredible range of regional field trips to other sites and museums including Çatalhöyük, the Hittite capital Hatussas, the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara and the dramatic Neolithic site of Aşıklı. Program participants can expect to walk away from this field school secure in their understanding of applied archaeological field research methods and deep understanding of the cultural landscape of Central Anatolia, past and present. For the project website, go here.
Course Details
Course Dates: June 24- July 22, 2023
Enrollment Status: Open
Total Cost: $4,035
Course Type: Field Archaeology
Tuition Payment Deadline: May 12, 2023
Instructors: Prof. Douglas Baird, Dr. Andrew Fairbairn
Online Orientation: TBD
Academic Credit: 8 Semester Credit Units (equivalent to 12 Quarter Units)
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.
Testimonials
I undertook The Boncuklu Field Work opportunity as an undergraduate student. In my opinion it is a must for any student wanting to become the best Archaeologist they can be. I experienced a different culture, met aspiring and established archaeologists and I was given the chance to work on a site of great archaeological value. The opportunity to go on intensive field work is very limited for undergraduates so this opportunity should not be passed up. Even if this is not your chosen area of study, it is important to get an understanding of the different types of sites you may encounter in your future undertakings. All in all, the experience was amazing, unforgettable and unique. It reaffirmed my belief that Archaeology is not really a job, but a lifestyle.
The Boncuklu experience was a fantastic opportunity to further my archaeological experience, as well as to fully immerse myself in a culture quite apart from what one is used to in Britain. Prior to the excavation I took the opportunity to explore Turkey, travelling as far as Lake Van in Eastern Turkey, and visiting sites we had been introduced to in lectures, notably Göbekli Tepe. The dig itself provided a fantastic opportunity to work, with an awesome team of students and top academics, for up to two months. I could truly immerse myself in the work I was undertaking, and try my hand at all aspects of the work (excavation, find processing, flotation, and survey), while exploring areas of the country such as Cappadocia, Antalya, and Eğridir in my time off. The opportunity also gave me a further experience in finds processing from a more specialised view point with personal instruction at a one to one level from Dr. Douglas Baird. This was a truly memorable experience, one I hope to repeat in the future, which I shall treasure forever, having met amazing people from across the world and explored a beautiful and welcoming country. Thanks!
Tuition Includes:
- Cost of Instruction
- Cost of Academic Credit Units
- Room & Board
- All Local Transportation
- Health & Evacuation Insurance
Student Fees
Application Fee: There is a $25 fee to submit an online application.
Deposit Payment:
- Once you have been accepted to a program, you must place a nonrefundable $500 deposit fee to hold your seat in the program until the tuition payment deadline. The tuition payment deadline can be found in the top right of each field school’s web page under “Course Details”.
- The $500 deposit fee is included as part of your total tuition fee and NOT in addition to it.
Tuition Fee
- The tuition balance is the total program tuition fee minus the $500 deposit fee.
- The full tuition fee must be paid by the tuition payment deadline in order to secure your seat in the program.
- If you do not pay the full tuition fee by the deadline, your place in the program is no longer secure, and if you are unable to participate in the program for any reason, our Late Withdrawal policy below will apply.
Late Fee: A $100 late fee will be added to all accounts not paid in full by the tuition payment deadline.
Withdrawal Policy: If you place a deposit but decide to withdraw, you must notify IFR staff in writing before the tuition payment deadline. In the event of withdrawal, the $500 nonrefundable deposit fee remains nonrefundable and will not be refunded.
Late Withdrawal: If you paid the deposit fee but did not cancel your participation by the tuition payment deadline, you are legally responsible for the full tuition fee regardless of attendance at any IFR program. Please carefully read our Withdrawal & Cancellation Policy for further information.
Cancellation Policy: In the event that IFR must cancel a field school, all accepted students will be notified as soon as possible and will receive a refund of all tuition paid including the deposit fee. IFR offers students the opportunity to transfer to another field school, permitting that there are spots available and the program director approves the student to participate in their field school. Upon approval of the program director, IFR staff will make the arrangements to transfer the student’s application and payments.
Credit Card Processing Fee: A 3.5% processing fee is automatically incurred for all credit/debit card/online payments.
Academic Credit Opt Out: Students who wish to participate in an IFR field school without earning academic credit units may do so and receive the following discounts: $300 off a full program (4 or more weeks in length) or $200 off a short program (2-3 weeks in length).
Trip Cancellation Insurance: Please consider purchasing a travel interruption insurance policy that will cover your travel cost and the cost of the IFR program once you make a commitment to attend a field school.
Accommodations
Students will spend 4.5 weeks at the Boncuklu Project excavation centre. The dig house has good communal facilities with a kitchen, several showers and toilets, washing machines, and laboratories. There is an outdoor covered dining and social space.
IFR students will occupy well ventilated shared rooms with bunk beds in the dig house complex or large well ventilated tents, in social pods of 2-3 students. These pods will work together and eat together. Single occupancy isolated sleep spaces can be made available if COVID-19 related circumstances require this.
There are toilets and showers within the dig house complex adjacent to the sleeping rooms and tents. The project has machines for laundry and the laundry service is organized centrally. Maximum occupancy limits will be set on these facilities and suitable spacing guidelines established for users respecting 2m distances.
Food
Catering is carried out by two local cooks preparing Turkish village style food. This is of course halal. All meals will be communal events and will provide plenty of nutritious, but basic food in the tradition of local cuisine. The daily diet in Turkey is heavily based on pasta, rice, legumes, bread other vegetables, with some meat. Vegetarians/Vegans, lactose intolerant, and gluten free diets may be accommodated.
There is a large open air, but roofed, dining area which can seat several pods respecting COVID-19-related distance requirements. Prepared food will be served in shifts to allow COVID-19 distancing requirements. The cooks will be regularly tested, masked and gloved and use disinfected space and utensils and reman socially distanced from the team.
Note: You are encouraged to also visit our project website, boncuklu.org, which gives a flavor of life for the team at the site.
Travel Info
- Students are responsible for making your own travel arrangements, once the timing of permit issue by the Turkish authorities is confirmed. Students will fly in and out of Konya (KYA) and will be met at Konya airport on arrival. If you flight is delayed or you missed your connection, please call, text or email the project director immediately. A local cell phone number will be provided to enrolled students.
- Students will arrive on Saturday, June 24. This field school ends on the afternoon of Saturday, July 22. Students should prepare for onward travel or return home on Sunday, July 23.
- PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT BOOK FLIGHTS UNTIL INSTRUCTED BY THE FIELD SCHOOL DIRECTORS. MINOR CHANGES TO THE MEETING POINT AND STARTING DATE (BY A DAY OR TWO) MAY BECOME NECESSARY IN THE LIGHT OF ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE TURKISH AUTHORITIES WHO ISSUE THE OFFICIAL PERMIT FOR THE EXCAVATION.
The closest city to the site is Konya. There is an international airport at Konya although most flights route through Istanbul. Flying to Konya is easiest, and Professor Baird will meet IFR students at that airport. Alternatively, one can fly to Istanbul and travel by high-speed train (4 hours) from Istanbul to Konya, although these trains book up quickly. Professor Baird will also meet people at the train station in Konya if required. You will be driven from collection point to the site in the dig vehicle.
VISA REQUIREMENTS
All personal engaged in archaeological research in Turkey must be cleared by the authorities. Enrolled students will receive a special research visa to attend the field school. All accepted students will be asked to complete official forms – those will be sent to students by Project Directors – and all documents will be submitted as a group for approval to relevant Turkish authorities. This will result in issuing of research visas. As the excavation permit holder from the Turkish government, Professor Baird arranges a project permit application through the Turkish embassy in London. Once the permit is issued in late May-early June these research visas will be collected from a Turkish consulate, 1 of 6 in the USA or other country. Each consulate has its own practices, so students will need to contact their preferred consulate to arrange collection either in person or by mail, partly depending on local arrangements. This will require prompt action by students under guidance from Professor Baird. Consult with Professor Baird about which consulate would work for you.
Citizens of other countries are asked to check the embassy website page at their home country for specific visa requirements.
PASSPORT VALIDITY
The Turkish government require that your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the date you enter Turkey and that there is a full blank page for the entry and exit stamps.
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 us at 877-839-4374 or email us at info@ifrglobal.org if you have questions about the safety of any particular program.