Excavations of an Early Christian Monastery 2018

After a five year break, the Balkan Heritage Field School reopened the project in 2017 at the monastery on Djanavara Hill. The field school provides a unique glimpse into the Early Byzantine history and culture along with the amazing opportunity: to dig at a significant Early Byzantine monastery on the Black Sea coast and to learn more about the Early Christian art, architecture, theology, cults, monastic art and everyday life. Additionally, participants will visit the following archaeological and historic sites in Bulgaria: the Early Byzantine and Medieval fortress at Kaliakra cape, the Early Byzantine fortress and the archaeological reserve Yailata, the Early Byzantine fortress with episcopal basilica and a winery on St. Atanas cape, the archaeological sites and the museums of history in the town of Devnya (Late Roman city of Marcianopolis) and Balchik (ancient Dionysopolis), the Late Antiquity and Medieval site Madara (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the first capital of Bulgaria - Pliska, several archaeological sites in Varna and the Varna Archaeological Museum.

The field school season 2018 envisions excavations at several places around the representative monastery colonnaded atrium (the central court) where during the previous excavations, remains have been found of several buildings with at least four periods of reconstructions, making the site a good field for studying, practicing and gaining valuable hands on experience.