In May 2025, thanks to the generous funding of the British Archaeological Association, which enabled me to pay for the flights to Greece, I was able to attend the fully funded Excavation Supervisor Training Programme at the American School of Classical Studies in Corinth for a month. This was the first opportunity I have ever had to participate in an excavation in Greece, having been previously constrained by the pandemic and financial reasons. As a Classical and Byzantine archaeologist, it has always been vitally important to me to participate in excavations in Greece, as it enables a better understanding of the recovery methods used in Greek Archaeological excavations and, subsequently, better informs the approach I take to my PhD Research.
Participating in this project, whilst not within the geographic scope of my thesis, which is entitled “Agents of Change: The Significance of Topography, People and Networks in the Spread and Experience of Monumental Christianity in Late Antique Macedonia”, provided me with experience digging in one of the most essential comparative examples of a colonial city. Corinth was a place of fundamental importance in establishing early Christianity and saw an equally early tradition of building churches. My PhD is primarily concerned with the networks that facilitated the Christianisation process as represented by monumental churches in Late Antique Macedonia. As such, I am also interested in the important large cities within these networks, such as Corinth, that were in contact with Macedonian cities like Philippi, Thessaloniki, and Thasos. Furthermore, Corinth in this period had a very similar status to that of Philippi, being a Roman colony with a similar material culture and a population composition that provides an interesting point of comparison to the colonies of Philippi and Dion. Dealing first-hand with the extensive material culture at the site and learning more about Corinth through the excavations and training has made a notable difference to my contextual understanding of the cities and network connections that characterised Greece in Late Antiquity.
The 2025 season focused on the northeast of the theatre, where a Roman bath complex is thought to be located, as well as numerous layers of occupation spanning the Roman, Byzantine, and Frankish periods. The programme itself consisted of three weeks of excavation and one week of finds processing and report writing. This allowed for sufficient time to become familiar with the site and the specific trench in which we worked. The most notable skills I developed included utilising the total station, creating site plan drawings, and identifying finds.
This was a fantastic opportunity that I am so grateful to have been granted by the BAA. During my time at Corinth, I have forged long-lasting connections and developed a range of skills that have enriched both my research and my ability as an archaeologist. Thank you!