Samshvilde Summer School is  intensive  program in archaeological  and Bioarchaeological practice. Trainees will have the unique opportunity to participate in excavations at Samshvilde’s royal medieval citadel (11th13th cent. AD) and Sioni ‘cemetery’. In this course, trainees will learn a variety of methodological skills and gain hands-on experience necessary for becoming a professional archaeologist. The objective for this course is to give trainees a wide variety of basic knowledge about archaeological practice. Because we consider field experience to be essential we will focus on hands-on tasks that can only be learned while on the field. 

    Training includes:

1) Field work. You will learn archaeological  context excavation methodology, field data recording techniques, elevation measure taking and finds collecting. Additionally, you will receive a safety training about on-site procedures.

2) Post-excavation finds processing. You will learn how to efficiently clean, describe, record, draw, photograph, conserve, and archive finds. There is a wide range of artifacts at Samshvilde, including (but not limited to) ceramic and glass vessels, ceramic building material (CBM), coins, gemstones, metal artifacts, human and animal bones.

3) Seminars. These will be mainly to teach trainees about South Caucasus’ history and archaeology, but will also be held in various related topics (to be determined). 

   At the end of this course, trainees are expected to be proficient in:

• Archaeological  context excavation

• Documentation and archiving

• Basic artefact conservation

• Scientific photography

• Technical drawing

• Basic osteology

This summer, the Samshvilde Archaeological Summer School will accept participants in two groups:

Participants registered in the first group will be able to join the excavations from June 10 to June 20, 2025.

Participants registered in the second group will be able to take part in the excavations from July 24 to August 3, 2025.

In addition, those individuals who wish to participate in the excavations for only a few days should contact the director of the summer school, Professor Davit Berikashvili, in advance.

A flexible schedule will be offered to them, and they will also have the opportunity to take part in the archaeological excavations

Those wishing to participate in the summer school must complete their registration no later than June 1, 2025.

Late registration may cause difficulties with the scheduling of participation in the excavations.

  Prerequisites. No academic status or performance prerequisites are necessary for this summer school. Applicants must be fit for light physical work and interested in archaeology & history. Furthermore, applicants must be proficient in English as activities will be held in this language.  A final and very important prerequisite for applicants is that they have a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. Fieldwork is an extremely enriching experience but it can also be demanding physically and psychologically at times, so a positive mindset can go a long way in making your experience memorable.

The participation fee for the first group of the Samshvilde Archaeological Summer School (June 10 - June 20, 2025) is 770 USD.

The participation fee for the first group of the Samshvilde Archaeological Summer School (July 24 - August 3, 2025) is 770 USD.

Participants who wish to join the excavations for only a few days will need to pay a fee of 80 USD per day.

The summer school fee includes accommodation at the archaeological base of the Georgian University, in the village of Samshvilde, free internet, meals, provision of tools necessary for the archaeological excavations, and a one-time excursion to a historical site.

The fee does not include the cost of the Samshvilde Archaeological Expedition branded hoodie and t-shirt. The hoodie costs an additional 40 USD, and the t-shirt costs an additional 30 USD.

The fee does not include the cost of personal items and medical supplies.