Fieldwork Report: Riley Stockton

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Marta Ostovich

Digging Dirt in Cyprus

Riley Stockton, 2024 P.E. MacAllister Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient

This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the Vigla Archaeological Field School, a sub-project of the Pyla-Koutsopetria Archaeological Project, based in Pyla, Cyprus. These excavations help to gain information about the history and exchange between Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean. The site was a military fortification from the Hellenistic period. The main purpose of excavation in this site is to better understand the purpose of this fortification site and its structures during this period. From the previous findings, it has been determined as a fortification site, but more information is still to be found on the daily life and activities of Vigla, as well as the previous structures that existed there. This experience was my first archaeological dig which was a truly unforgettable experience that deepened my understanding of the field.

At the dig, along with two other students, I excavated a trench from start to finish, which gave me a comprehensive understanding of the archaeological process. This included the paperwork, the specific excavation techniques applied at different stages, and the importance of understanding the context of artifacts and their surrounding environment.

One of the techniques I learned was photogrammetry, a process that involves taking a series of photographs to create a detailed 3D model of the area. In the trench where I worked, we uncovered two distinct pottery deposits on separate floor surfaces. After carefully excavating around the artifacts, my peers and I meticulously cleared the surrounding area to ensure the best possible images could be captured. One of our project directors, Dr. Brandon Olson, then photographed the trench from every angle to build the 3D model.

Photogrammetry presented its own set of challenges, particularly with lighting. We could only take the necessary photos early in the morning when we arrived at 5:30 a.m. or when the sun was directly overhead. On one occasion, we had to rush to complete the process before the British military began their exercises at 7:30 a.m., as the site is located within a British military base. With the clock ticking, we managed to finish just in time, pack up, and evacuate the area.

Another time, as we prepared for photogrammetry, we noticed a thick wall of fog rolling in. We scrambled to clean the trench and take the necessary photos before the fog obscured the area. It was a race against nature so we could keep on digging.

All in all, we managed to capture the necessary photographs despite the challenges we faced along the way. My trench mates and I, all first-time diggers, began and completed our trench together in just one month. The early mornings and relentless heat were tough, but I’m incredibly proud of the work we accomplished and deeply grateful for the unforgettable experience. A special thanks to ASOR and its donors for providing me with the opportunity to participate in this dig—I couldn’t have done it without their support.

For more information about the Vigla Archaeological Field School visit here.

Riley Stockton is a junior at Reed College where she majors in Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean studies with a concentration in history and archaeology.

Read about other student experiences on the Vigla Archaeological Project here.

Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Fieldwork Scholarships” as your gift purpose!

Browse the News Archive

Dana Grant Report: Jamie Fraser

ALERT: Fraudulent E-mails, Calls, and Phishing Scams

Table of Contents for Near Eastern Archaeology 89.3 (2026)

Annual Appeal Letter

March Fellowship Madness 2025 — In Our 125th Year!

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Jared Koller

[vc_row fullwidth=”true” attached=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496247803139{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”94401″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1496682730308{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/12″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683820796{margin-right: 10px !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_column_text]

SHARE

[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-fb-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.facebook.com/ASOResearch/” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-tw-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://twitter.com/ASOResearch?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-in-icon4.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-schools-of-oriental-research” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/social-ml-icon_7.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”mailto:info@asor.org” margin_bottom=”0″][mk_image src=”http://www.asortest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/blog-icon3.jpg” image_width=”42″ image_height=”42″ hover=”false” custom_url=”http://asor.org/blog” margin_bottom=”0″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496683923840{margin-right: 20px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;border-left-color: #99422f !important;}”][mk_divider divider_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.01)” thickness=”1″ margin_top=”3″ margin_bottom=”3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”ca-sidebar-39801″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1487276122024{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text responsive_align=”left”]

March Fellowship Madness 2025 — In Our 125th Year!

[/vc_column_text][mk_divider margin_top=”10″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner css=”.vc_custom_1706024108985{padding-right: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_text]

Thank you to everyone who was part of ASOR’s 2025 March Fellowship Madness. Your generous donations raised $4,725 this year and ASOR can now fund 2 additional fieldwork scholarships.

Each year, ASOR sponsors many Fieldwork Scholarships for students and volunteers to take part in ASOR-affiliated projects. With your help, we aim to raise $6,000 to send three more students into the field during Summer 2025. Right now, ASOR is able to award 47 fieldwork scholarships in 2025 and with your help, we’ll make it to 50!

We’re looking forward to celebrating our 125th anniversary with you and planning the future (hopefully another 125 years at least!) to provide a bright future for the next generations of archaeologists.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_gallery images=”101677,101477,101413,101344,101284,101069″ column=”6″ enable_title=”false” item_id=”1740691625-67c0d8a942a8f”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

ASOR provides these scholarships with your partnership. You are enabling ASOR to establish new scholarships and grants through endowed funds, but your annual support (i.e., gifts this year) will allow ASOR to send more eager students and early career scholars into the field. Please support archaeology’s next generation by making a gift today and selecting “Fieldwork Scholarships” as the designation for your gift. You may also make a designated gift by choosing any category from the drop-down menu on the donations module.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner css=”.vc_custom_1706024108985{padding-right: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_text]The past 125 years owe so much to our generous members; even a small donation of just $10 adds up to make a big difference. 100% of your gift will go toward Fieldwork Scholarships for students. Keep track of our March Fellowship Madness 2025 donation progress here — with each $1,000 donated, we’ll excavate more of the ASOR jar![/vc_column_text][vc_wp_text][/vc_wp_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”ca-sidebar-99363″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Fieldwork Report: Sarah “Gigi” Konecki-Brazeal

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Marta Ostovich

Archaeology: A Deeply Human Endeavor

Sarah “Gigi” Konecki-Brazeal, 2024 P.E. MacAllister Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient

First surveyed in the 60s and left untouched for decades, Antiochia ad Cragum is a first-century Roman city founded by Antiochus IV of Commagene around 44 CE. Perched on the “cragus” roughly 300M above the Mediterranean, the city has yielded many great finds over the past 20 years, including two bathing complexes and a plethora of questions about the evolution of this city from a bustling polis to a site of extensive industry. At some point in this city’s lifespan, many of the buildings, including both bath complexes, were converted to industry. Evidence of wine and oil production, as well as ceramic, glass, and metal production, have been found throughout the site.

Excavations began on the Small Bath in 2018 and will continue for the foreseeable future. This type of bath is known as a hall bath and might be a bit unfamiliar to those already versed in Roman bathing complexes. The architecture of the bath situates a great hall with mosaiced floors through the center of the building with tepidaria (cold rooms) and caldaria (hot rooms) on either side. The hall leads to a large wading pool on the west end of the complex, and the building itself has one main entrance on the east end. To date, three frigidaria and one caldarium have been excavated. In addition, the cistern for the bathing complex was uncovered entirely during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It is suspected that two more caldaria exist along the southern side of the complex, and there is the hope of locating the praefurnium there as well.

In the summer of 2022, I came to Antiochia ad Cragum as an undergrad, looking to fulfill my field school requirement and find out if I had what it took to work in the field of archaeology. I was sent to the small bath to work under the direction of Dr. Leticia Rodriguez, and I had no idea what to expect. It was A LOT of digging, and A LOT of giant rocks, and A LOT of wheelbarrows. In the second week Dr. Rodriguez decided to open up Frigidarium 4 on the westside of the Small Bath and asked for volunteers. Frigidarium 4 was almost entirely full of fill that had washed down the mountainside and into the now roofless room. It looked like an impossible task, and nobody really wanted to start at the beginning again, especially when the trenches that had been opened the previous week were starting to look like something. So naturally, I volunteered. Again, it was nothing but dirt and large rocks which had fallen from the wall or ceiling. It was hot, it was dirty, my legs and arms felt like noodles at the end of the day…and I couldn’t wait to go back.

What should have taken a couple of weeks to clear and document has now taken us three seasons to uncover, with no sign of a floor at the end of the 2024 season. Since removing surface fill, Frigidarium 4 has yielded many spectacular finds owing to its conversion to a trash pit sometime (we think) in the fifth century. They say you can learn much about a man by going through his trash, and I agree. Everything these people were doing, using, making, participating in, and ultimately discarding have been found in my trench. We have learned so much about what these people were doing and what they found valuable by examining the findings from Frigidarium 4. Detritus from industry, personal items, evidence of what people ate, and the animals they raised – not only for food but for textile production – have all been found in Frigidarium 4, which still has more to tell us.

The connection one feels to the people of the past when finding and carefully preserving their once-lost history isn’t easy to put into words, but it keeps me coming back year after year. Every season, we get a little closer to uncovering these peoples’ stories and piecing together the lives of those who were, up until now, forgotten. There is a beauty in unearthing something that once sat in the hands of a person over 1500 years ago, a strange intimacy with someone whose name you can never know and whose face you will never see. Additionally, there is an overwhelming sense of civic duty that comes with uncovering these items and sending them home to a conservation lab or museum where they will find new life. These things belonged to people once, and those people have been forgotten. But with our work in Antiochia ad Cragum, they live again, and the Turkish people reclaim a piece of their heritage that they may not have realized they’d lost.

Ultimately, archaeology is a profoundly human endeavor that contributes to a sense of connection: connection to our past and to each other. A connection that bridges borders, cultures, and time. A connection that I hope, brings us all closer to one another on the most fundamental of levels.

Sarah “Gigi” Konecki-Brazeal is a graduate student at Arizona State University studying Art History, Archaeology, and Studio Art. She is a practicing artist who merges her artistic work with her academic research. In addition to being a trench supervisor and field assistant and Antiochia ad Cragum, Gigi also works as an illustrator and lithic analyst for the Bandafassi Regional Archeological Project. She plans to write her dissertation on ancient tattooing practices and go on to teach at the university level while continuing her fieldwork in Turkey and beyond.

Learn more about the Antiochia ad Cragum Archaeological Research Project here.

Want to help more students and early career archaeologists get into the field? Donate to the cause today by selecting “Fieldwork Scholarships” as your gift purpose!