Acomodations. House, food and routines
Flying to Lisbon and getting to Redondo
The dates for the project are January 7th – January 27th, 2024. On January 7th, everyone will meet in the Lisbon airport to be driven to Redondo. This means that you must arrive into Lisbon by January 7th, no later than 3 pm. We recommend flying into Lisbon a few days early if possible, to get over jet lag and to explore Lisbon.
It is important to remember that for long distance flights (such as from Australia and the United States) you will likely need to depart your home city on January 6th. If you are unable to arrive by January 7th, you will still be able to join the project. You will just have to take the bus (about 2 hours) from Lisbon to Redondo.
At the end of the project, you will be dropped off at the Lisbon airport on January 27th, 2024. Alternatively, we can drop you off in the city center if you plan on staying in Lisbon for a few days after the project.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us about any of these details, we can always set up some alternate arrangements depending on the needs of the group.
Life on the Project
Students will be housed together in the town of Redondo, near the site. Due to space considerations, most rooms will be shared by two or three students. Rooms will be separated by gender. Outside of individual rooms, the rest of the house is communal: kitchen, bathroom, living room etc. As a result, students will be responsible for cleaning and keeping the house tidy. Students will be responsible for doing their own laundry (we have a washing machine).
Meals: The project provides 3 meals a day on weekdays. Breakfast will be eaten at the dig house and students are expected to prepare this meal themselves (cereal, yoghurts, toast, etc.). We will eat lunch at a local restaurant in town. For dinner, we will have food delivered from a local restaurant and eat in the dig house. On weekends, students will be responsible for their own meals (there are a number of restaurants and grocery stores in town). Students should expect to eat the local Alentejan cuisine. The project will do its best to accommodate dietary requirements, but students must inform us of any dietary requirements or allergies in their forms. We are able to accommodate vegetarian diets, but any other diets must be discussed before the start of the project.
Routine
During the 3 week program we will dig in the morning (8am to 1pm), then head to a fantastic, authentic Alentejan banquet, with the typical gastronomy and wine from the local winery. The afternoon is destined to rest and relaxing, although we are also going to do lab work, artefactual analysis and visit sites nearby. On the weekends we reserve one day only dedicated to rest and relaxation, being the other a tour day to visit towns, museums, archaeological sites in the district of Évora.
At the end of the project, you will be able to:
-Know how to approach an archaeological dig from the start.
-Understand the digging method and understand the concept of archaeological stratigraphy.
-Do field mapping and recording, work with GPS systems and total station.
-Be familiar with the artifactual culture of the SW Iberian Neolithic period.
-Know the basics of graphical representation and site maping.
-Be better prepared for the archaeological challenges in your career!
The dates for the project are January 7th – January 27th, 2024. On January 7th, everyone will meet in the Lisbon airport to be driven to Redondo. This means that you must arrive into Lisbon by January 7th, no later than 3 pm. We recommend flying into Lisbon a few days early if possible, to get over jet lag and to explore Lisbon.
It is important to remember that for long distance flights (such as from Australia and the United States) you will likely need to depart your home city on January 6th. If you are unable to arrive by January 7th, you will still be able to join the project. You will just have to take the bus (about 2 hours) from Lisbon to Redondo.
At the end of the project, you will be dropped off at the Lisbon airport on January 27th, 2024. Alternatively, we can drop you off in the city center if you plan on staying in Lisbon for a few days after the project.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us about any of these details, we can always set up some alternate arrangements depending on the needs of the group.
Life on the Project
Students will be housed together in the town of Redondo, near the site. Due to space considerations, most rooms will be shared by two or three students. Rooms will be separated by gender. Outside of individual rooms, the rest of the house is communal: kitchen, bathroom, living room etc. As a result, students will be responsible for cleaning and keeping the house tidy. Students will be responsible for doing their own laundry (we have a washing machine).
Meals: The project provides 3 meals a day on weekdays. Breakfast will be eaten at the dig house and students are expected to prepare this meal themselves (cereal, yoghurts, toast, etc.). We will eat lunch at a local restaurant in town. For dinner, we will have food delivered from a local restaurant and eat in the dig house. On weekends, students will be responsible for their own meals (there are a number of restaurants and grocery stores in town). Students should expect to eat the local Alentejan cuisine. The project will do its best to accommodate dietary requirements, but students must inform us of any dietary requirements or allergies in their forms. We are able to accommodate vegetarian diets, but any other diets must be discussed before the start of the project.
Routine
During the 3 week program we will dig in the morning (8am to 1pm), then head to a fantastic, authentic Alentejan banquet, with the typical gastronomy and wine from the local winery. The afternoon is destined to rest and relaxing, although we are also going to do lab work, artefactual analysis and visit sites nearby. On the weekends we reserve one day only dedicated to rest and relaxation, being the other a tour day to visit towns, museums, archaeological sites in the district of Évora.
At the end of the project, you will be able to:
-Know how to approach an archaeological dig from the start.
-Understand the digging method and understand the concept of archaeological stratigraphy.
-Do field mapping and recording, work with GPS systems and total station.
-Be familiar with the artifactual culture of the SW Iberian Neolithic period.
-Know the basics of graphical representation and site maping.
-Be better prepared for the archaeological challenges in your career!
Things to Bring to Portugal
Below are some suggestions on what to bring to site as well for general life during the project. The town of Redondo has a supermarket and multiple discount stores which sell basic amenities. Tools will be provided by the project, so there is no need to bring your own.
Dig – Related Items:
Comfortable winter clothes, temperatures might range between 2º-18º celcius (36º-64º F)
Pants - Most students wear long pants, jeans, etc.
Jumper/Sweatshirt - it can be quite cool in the mornings and evenings
Sturdy closed toe shoes/boots
Water-resistant jacket, January tends to be a dry month, although we may experience the occasional shower
Back-pack/bag - in order to carry sunscreen, gloves, hat, etc. to site everyday
Bandana/Dust Mask - to protect against dust
Sunscreen
Hat - for sun-protection
Everyday Items:
Passport!
Preload your devices with movies/tv shows – although wifi is available at the house
Unlocked phone (Sim cards with lots of data are available in Redondo)
Southern European electrical adaptor
Spending money/Internationally valid bank card (atms are available at the Lisbon airport and in Redondo)
Pens/pencils/notebooks
Swimsuit (There is a community pool which we have free access to)
Towel
Toiletries - these can also be purchased at the grocery store
Comfortable shoes for around town - some students also like to wear slippers around the house
Medications – there is a pharmacy in Redondo, but the language barrier can be an issue for more specific ailments