ArchaeoSpain, an educational and archaeological organization based in Connecticut and Madrid, announces that Peachtree City native Alexandria Waldrop joined an archaeological dig in July to unearth an Iron Age/Celtic necropolis at the 5th-century BC settlement of Pintia in central Spain.

Waldrop, an anthropology/Middle East studies student at Georgia State University, formed part of a team of Spanish archaeologists and archaeology students for one month. Tasks undertaken included the excavation and mapping of the site, in addition to extracting and cataloguing artifacts.

Over the past few years, archaeologists have uncovered around 100 burials, most of them belonging to warriors and featuring a bounty of war-related artifacts. Research on the site, located in the province of Valladolid, is helping investigators to better understand the social organization of these pre-Roman peoples. ArchaeoSpain teams consist of between six and 10 participants from around the world who join local crews of 10 to 20 more people.

ArchaeoSpain teams have assisted in major discoveries at various sites in Spain and Italy. At Clunia teams are excavating the remains of a 9,000-seat Roman theater. In Monte Testaccio, Rome, the crews are unearthing vital clues to reconstructing ancient Roman trade. And in Pollentia on the island of Mallorca, the high-school group – one of the few archaeological programs for high school students in the world – excavates the city’s Roman Forum.

“Alexandria and the other program participants will be learning about archaeology while at the same time contributing to important research projects. Our joint Spanish-international crews have uncovered priceless information about Spain’s ancient past,” said Mike Elkin, director of ArchaeoSpain.

 ArchaeoSpain, founded in 2000, is a non-profit organization created by a group of cultural resource specialists. ArchaeoSpain provides an opportunity for people from all over the world to engage in important archaeological projects in Spain, and offers a chance to learn and do archaeology with trained investigators. Since ArchaeoSpain’s creation, students from 13 countries and 125 universities have participated. For more information, visit www.archaeospain.com.

login to post comments