Basic Information:
Full Name: Rachel Bolus
UC Email: bolusra@mail.uc.edu
College: McMicken College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Archaeology, Anthropology, Classical Civilizations
Title of Project: Iklaina Archaeological Excavation
Thematic Area: Research
Expected Project Start Date: June 15 th
, 2015
Expected Project End Date: July 7 th
, 2015
Project Information:
1.
Background Information:
Iklaina is an ancient Bronze Age (1600-1100 BCE) Mycenaean (late Bronze age
Greek) archaeological palace site on mainland Greece in the Peloponnese. The focus of this archaeological investigation is to examine the hierarchical relationship between this palace site and the near by palace site of Pylos. This examination will also aid in looking at structure, scale and organization of early Greek sites. Some notable aspects of this site is the recovery of the oldest Linear B tablets (state records in Ancient Greek on clay tablets) found thus far in Greece, as well as extensive monumental building.
(Cosmopoulos: 2006)
My job at this site will be to assist in archaeobotanical flotation (recovery of ancient plant remains) as well as assist in overall excavation. The majority of the plant remains from the site will also be processed and analyzed on site thus I will also be assisting in extensive lab work.
(Tentative) Itinerary:
-
June 17 th
June 18 th

fly out of Cincinnati

arrive in Greece at _____pm
- July 6 th 
5-6 days a week: excavate and perform flotation in the
field from 8 am- 2pm, 5pm-7pm lab work
July 7 th 
Fly out of Kalamata with Dr. Allen back to Kalamata
2. Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area
By attending this archaeological excavation as an intern working with archaeobotanical collection and analysis I will gain an ability to identify and apply appropriate methodologies and design research study, which also goes along the same lines as gaining a well-developed awareness of literature in the field. By watching my mentor and learning from her and the other trained specialists within the field I first, will be able to gain an enhanced knowledge regarding the type of flotation at the site (the method by which archaeobotanical materials are collected); while I have had experience working with flotation in the past while in Albania, the system at Iklaina is entirely different and it will be very beneficial to gain more advanced knowledge within each of these systems. Secondly, by observing the specialists within the field, I will be able to increase both my knowledge of plant remains and plant types as well as overall excavation methodologies and understanding the most optimal ways to undergo proper data collection and recording. And lastly, I will increase my comprehension in the kinds of material culture that are most important to pay attention to as well as how to identify them (i.e. pottery sherds, lithics, bone fragments etc.).

In addition to increasing my knowledge within methodologies, I will also strengthen my ability to disseminate research results and knowledge gained as well as learn to develop a proper hypothesis from which I would be disseminating that knowledge. Some of the questions that I will be looking at will include hypotheses regarding domestication of plant species, hierarchies, and trade/foreign interaction.
Examining these hypotheses will allow me to do an in-depth analysis of the social stratification at this site and its relation to larger, more centralized complexes and while under the guidance of Dr. Susan Allen, I will be able to best identify the kinds of questions and data that I should pay attention to.
3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories:
A. This project not only relates to my future professional goals, but my academic and personal goals as well.
Firstly, this relates to my professional goals because one of my main focuses within archaeological academia is to work with archaeobotany. On this project my main focus will be on the collection of ancient plant remains and will be working under the guidance of two highly skilled archaeobotanists. This will be both advantageous in that it will provide me with excellent early-on field experience as well as give me a good baseline from which I could start to think about theses for when I enter graduate school.
This project also relates to my professional goals in that it applies directly to my interest in Classical Archaeology. I have been studying Classical Civilizations with the hopes that as a graduate student I will be able to pursue a PhD within Classical
Archaeology focusing primarily upon ancient Greek sites.
The Iklaina project will also relate however to my academic goals in that it will provide me with first hand knowledge regarding the history that I have learned in my courses examining Ancient Greek history and archaeological sites as well as hopefully put to use my knowledge within in Ancient Greek Language.
Lastly, however, traveling and working in Greece will also apply to one of my personal goals to always be traveling and exploring. I want to constantly be exposing myself to new cultures and new methods of thought so that I can better grow as a more tolerant and accepting individual.
B.) To prepare for this archaeological excavation I took Art and Archaeology of Greece with Dr. Kathleen Lynch this past fall as well as studied the Ancient Greek language the past two semesters. I have also already read
The Political Landscape of Mycenaean
States: A-pu2 and the Hither Province of Pylos by Michael Cosmopoulos posted in the
American Journal of Archaeology in 2006.
For further preparation I plan to complete reading the field reports from 2008-2012 of the site by Michael Cosmopoulos and the team that are currently available online at Iklaina.org.
I chose these resources and learning experiences both because they are directly related to examining ancient Greek sites as well as because Dr. Allen suggested that the readings would be a good way for me to gain background about the site and better understand the reason for excavation and theoretical examination of the material.
4.) Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity:

I think I will bring a unique contribution to the project because having worked in both Albania and the USA and will have just attended a field school in Belize immediately before going to Greece, I will have a great wealth of knowledge from which to pull cross-cultural analyses; especially as a result of working in Belize given that Dr.
Sarah Jackson will be applying an entirely new method of material collection while in
Belize, so I will be able to come back with a completely new perspective of looking at archaeological material culture. Also, however, with regards to Belize, because I have done extensive study through Dr. Sarah Jackson’s “Royal Courts of the Ancient Maya”, I have an ability to reconstruct systems of hierarchy through examining archaeological remains, be it in structures, pottery, small artifacts etc. and I think that I will be able to bring this same ability with me and apply some of that previous knowledge to this site in
Greece.
I also bring a unique contribution in that, having grown up in rural Kentucky, I have some experience with working with both farming and gardening, which can provide a special kind of knowledge within archaeobotany in that I have a unique way of being able to think like a farmer, thus I may be able to look at things from the perspective of an ancient farmer.
5.) Reflection
During the project I will reflect on my activity by keeping a daily blog on my honors website where I will upload pictures, document my experiences, new knowledge, things that I have stuggled with both methodologically as well as culturally, and maybe articulate my own new ideas or theories that have stemmed as a result of working with this site.
6.) Dissemination
I would like to be able to share my knowledge with other students by presenting a power point of my experience to both the Classics Club as well as the Anthropology club.
I chose these clubs to present to because the Classics program is focused around studying
Mediterranean history and language and for Anthropos it would be excellent to have them hear about archaeological investigation from an undergraduate student like them so that they can get perspective about what their future excavations will be like.
7.) Project Advisor:
Dr. Susan Allen
Email: allese@ucmail.edu
Position: Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department at UC
8.) Budget:
- Request: $635 for rent
Justification: o While away overseas because it is an unpaid internship I will be losing about 3 weeks of work at Bed, Bath and Beyond where I make $8.50 per hour and work over 25 hours a week. This is money that I would be spending on rent and would equal out to: $637.50 (25 (hrs) x 8.5 ($) x 3 (weeks)= $637.50). While within that three weeks I would have

only worked a little over 75 hours at Bed, Bath and Beyond, while in
Greece I will be working a total of 120 hours of unpaid work (6 hours field excavation and 2 hours research/lab work per day, 5 days per week, 3 weeks). Unfortunately even though I will be gone the entire time, I will still owe rent money when I return from my trip. My rent for a single bedroom apartment at Park Lane Apartments on Victory
Parkway is $635 per month without utilities or pet fees.
Food, airfare, hotel stay, and cab-fare will all be covered by the archaeological team while I am in Greece.
Source(s):
- Cosmopoulos, Michael. "The Political Landscape of Mycenaean States: A-pu2 and the
Hither Province of Pylos." American Journal of Archaeology 110.2 (2006): 205-27. Print.