DIG DAILY LIFE

Daily life in the MVAP Poggio Colla Field School is a combination of beautiful countryside, manual labor, intellectual pursuit, and fun.


Sunset over the excavation house as seen from Selve.

 


Around the corner from the excavation house.

 


Greg Warden leads a reading discussion with SMU students.

 


Italian flag above the excavation house after Italy won the 2006 World Cup.

 


Ivo van der Graaff and Caitlin Vacanti celebrate Italy's World Cup
victory. Photo by Lauren Jackson.

 


Students' field shoes outside Vigna.

 


Students relaxing at the excavation house after a day in the field.

 


Beppina and Bruno Parigi (caretakers of the excavation house) and their grandchildren.

 


Music from the yellow CD player enlivens work on the arx.

 


Josh Moran, Brad Schneider, Robert Belanger, and Ivo van der Graaff
at the train bar in Vicchio celebrating after the 2004 Field Season Draft.

 


F&M student Chris Didizian excavating in Trench PC 29 in 2006.

 


Jess Galloway, Sanda Heinz, Andrew McClellan, Brad Schneider, and
Katy Blanchard foraging for wild blackberries in the Podere Funghi.

 


Morning cookie break on Poggio Colla.

 


2005: Jess Galloway and Jess Dussling.

 


Ivo van der Graaff, Nicole Berastequi, Aaron Bartels, Laura Crowley,
Virginia Lewis, and Andrew McClellan dancing at the 2004 circolo festa.

 


Kelley Satarino, Marie Hall, Jeff Edwards, and Ben Luley at the circolo dinner.

 


Friendships and fashion statements link staff and students. Left to right:
Karen Stamm, Joshua Moran, Michael Joyce, Cat Hinds, and Jenny Muslin.

 


Hand gesture comparison: Bepe vs. Michael.

 


Charles Sauvin, Adrian Ossi, and Rachel Julis remove tarps from
trenches early one morning on Poggio Colla in 2003.

 


View of Trench PC 25 from the shade where we hang our backpacks.



Left: Sifting for small finds. Right: Excavation in Trenches PC 22 and 23 on Poggio Colla.

 


Michael Joyce, Andy Bozanic, and Robert Belanger in PF 10 in 2002.

 


Sarah Evans holds the prism pole to survey finds in a trench in 2006.

 


View to the southwest from inside Trench PF 6.

 


View from inside the trenches in the Podere Funghi in 2003.

 


The ever-serious architect, Jess Galloway.

 


2000 Trench PC 18 crew poses in orange on trench tour day. Left to right:
Kate Topper, Amy Hedgecock, Melinda Swendrak, and Ashley Bennett.

 


Michael Thomas coerced by Ashley Bennett and
Amy Hedgecock into wearing a leaf headdress.

 



Daily picnic lunch of sandwiches, leftover pasta and
vegetables, fruit and cookies is served on the site.


View of Poggio Colla from the lunch area.


Naptime after lunch revitalizes the field crew for the afternoon shift.

 


Senior staff and grad students make final photos
and drawings of Poggio Colla trenches in 2007

 


View of Vespignano and the self-healing wipers of the "Texas Van."

 


Fields of sunflowers surround the excavation houses some years.

 


Kathy Windrow shooting digital video for the web site.

Hard work in the field is followed by relaxing evenings at the excavation houses Vigna and Guardia. Eating is serious business. Our house mom prepares breakfast and lunch, while our fabulous Italian cooks Wilma, Beppina, and Bruno prepare dinner served family style.


Jess Galloway, Gigi Lambert, and Greg Warden at Vigna.



Bruno and Beppina Parigi prepare another fabulous meal.



Above and below: students and staff relaxing in the evening at Vigna.

 


Students and staff eating dinner at Guardia in 2007

 


Matt Coonan with Daphne.

 


Pals Alayne Friedel, Michael Thomas, and Laura Proud in 1999.

 


Greg Warden, Jess Galloway, and Cris Worley

 

For QuickTime VR showing students digging on the site, see QuickTime VR.

Co-Directors: Gregory Warden gwarden@mail.smu.edu and Michael Thomas mlthomas@mail.utexas.edu
Excavation house phone during the field season: (011-39) 055-844-9834