The summer school is designed to provide all participants with an in-depth knowledge of cleaning, restoring and analyzing ancient human skeletal remains. Biological profile reconstruction is aimed to obtain the greatest possible amount of information on the environment, lifestyle, and diseases that afflicted past populations.

The Vada Volaterrana harbour project stems from the long lasting researches conducted by the staff of the Laboratory of Ancient Topography of the University of Pisa in San Gaetano di Vada (Rosignano Marittimo, Livorno), and all along the coast of Northern Tuscany, in order to reconstruct the townscapes and landscapes of Northern Etruria in a diacronic perspective.

Our project focuses on Vada Volaterrana, the core of the harbour system of Volterra, one of the most famous Etruscan and Roman cities in Italy. Here, a settlement of considerable interest has been identified in San Gaetano di Vada: it is a port area which has been excavated by the members of the staff and students of the Vada Volaterrana Archaeological Field School.

The excavations are part of an interdisciplinary project aimed at defining the paleogeography of the Vada Volaterrana area during Etruscan and Roman times. The project includes paleoenvironmental researches and Ground Penetrating Radar prospections to identify the full extent of the Vada Volaterrana settlement. Moreover, systematic underwater surveys are being conducted in the Vada Volaterrana seabed, in order to identify ancient harbour facilities and enhance our understanding of shipwrecks and underwater findings in the area.

Since 2018 the Vada Volaterrana Harbour Project started a partnership with professor Stephen Carmody of Troy University (Alabama) aimed in deepening paleobotanical and environmental features of the area. Flotation of Vada excavated layers provided unexpected and interesting results about landscapes in a diachronical perspective, tree essences and food supply in ancient coastal Etruria.

The Summer School will be held on campus in Rosignano M.mo (LIvorno), Frazione Vada, Località San Gaetano, via del Porto.

Aim

The Summer school aims at providing participants with the understanding of the different activities inherent to the job of archaeologist, both in the field and the lab. The Summer School at Vada Volaterrana is an excellent opportunity for students to gain practical experience in archaeological investigation, working side-by-side with skilfull and experienced researchers in the field. The members of the staff will explain how archaeologists work, from the identification of ancient sites through surveys and GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) investigations to the stratigraphic excavation.

Who can apply

Our Summer school welcomes University students in Archaeology, Classics, History, and Arts at the undergraduate and graduate levels who wish to have an hands-on experience of archaeological excavation in Italy.

Language

English

Program Intensity

Full time

Application

Admission Requirements

Being University students in Archaeology, Classics, History, and Arts at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

• The Summer School will be activated with at least 4 students
• The maximum number of participants is set to 12 students

Required documents

• Identity Document (*PASSPORT in case you are a foreign student*)
• Enrolment Form
• Curriculum Vitae
• Proof of tetanus vaccination
• A specialist’s note is required only for students with specifical medical needs

All the documents must be in pdf format, in order to upload them on the portal when required.

Application has to be submitted via Alice portal following the instructions of the "How to apply" page.

ECTS

6

Fees

1000 euro

(+ 1180 to cover transports from and to the site, housing, meals, excavation, laboratory equipment and staff costs)

Pay fees and accomodation costs by Debit/Credit Card or PayPal online using the following: Payment Form 

NOTICE:

• International students without Italian Tax Code: please tick the box 'Anonymous' in order to disable the field 'Italian personal ID/VAT number'.
• Please type your NAME and SURNAME next to the pre-filled text of the field 'Reason'
• Please pay only after receiving the admission letter
• NOTICE: Both tuition fees (1.000,00 euro) and accomodation costs (1.180,00 euro) are included in the total amount

REFUND POLICY:

A refund of 1000 euro is provided for documented cases of student illness/accident and family bereavement, reported within 15 days of the start of the Summer School.

Fundings

Please contact the coordinator to get information.

Period

6 - 25 July 2025

Application Deadline

3 June 2025

Contacts

Coordinator
Prof. Simonetta Menchelli Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. 

Website https://vadavolaterrana.cfs.unipi.it/ 

Summer/Winter School Office Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. 

Our summer school is a practical, full-immersion course covering biotechniques that can be applied to the study of several biological subjects related to cell biology, gene expression and function analysis, genotoxicity and ultrastructural observations.

The course will be divided in:

a) a theoretical part organized in lectures covering modern technologies;

b) a practical part in which participants will be hosted in the laboratories and will be directly involved in the design and execution of several experimental protocols regarding the main topics object of the lectures.

Program and schedule are available for download at the bottom of this webpage in the section Allegati.

The Summer School will be held on campus, in Pisa, at Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, via Alessandro Volta, 4.

Aim

The aim of the summer school is to introduce students to get information and practice on modern approaches concerning cell biology, cytogenetics, molecular biology and ultrastructure

Who can apply

The school is open to all postgraduate students, especially to PhD students, post-doctoral researchers and senior researchers from Universities, research institutes, clinics and industries.
Undergraduate students will be also welcome.

Language

English

Program Intensity

Full-Time

Application

Admission Requirements

Applicants are required to present a curriculum based on scientific background (biology, medicine, natural science, physics, chemistry)

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

• The Summer School will be activated with at least 4 students
• The maximum number of participants is set to 30 students

Required documents

• Identity Document (*PASSPORT in case you are a foreign student*)
• Enrolment Form 
• Curriculum Vitae based on scientific background (See above "Admission requirements)
• Motivational Letter

All the documents must be in pdf format, in order to upload them on the portal when required.

Application has to be submitted via Alice portal following the instructions of the "How to apply" page.

IMPORTANT INFO AND DEADLINES:

• Admission will be notified within a few day from the submission of the application via Alice portal
• 28 February 2025: deadline for requesting the scholarship
• 9 May 2025: application deadline
• 23 May 2025: deadline for requesting the refund of the tuition fee

ECTS

7

Fees

500 euro
(+ 100 euro: didactic material)

Pay fees by Debit/Credit Card or PayPal online using the following: Payment Form 

NOTICE:

• International students without Italian Tax Code: please tick the box 'Anonymous' in order to disable the field 'Italian personal ID/VAT number'.
• Please type your NAME and SURNAME next to the pre-filled text of the field 'Reason'
• Please pay only after receiving the admission letter
• After receiving the admission letter, payment of the tuition fee will be due within a week and a copy of the payment receipt should be sent to Prof. Giada Frenzilli Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.

REFUND POLICY:

• Within the 1 April 2025 withdrawal is allowed without penalty to students who demonstrate that they have failed to obtain a visa by submitting the documentation issued to them by the embassy.
• After the 1 April 2025 withdrawal is allowed with a penalty of 50% of the tuition fee already paid to students who demonstrate that they have failed to obtain a visa by submitting the documentation issued to them by the embassy.
• After the 23 May 2025 it is no longer possible to request the refund of the tuition fee already paid.

Fundings

One scholarship, covering the amount of the tuition fee, will be assigned on the basis of the motivational letter, the CV and the country income group (in case of a tie to the youngest student) among those who apply to the Summer School by 28 February 2025

IMPORTANT NOTICE: 28 February 2025 is the early bird application deadline for those interested in applying for the available scholarship.

Period

1 - 11 July 2025

Application Deadline

9 May 2025

IMPORTANT NOTICE: 28 February 2025 is the early bird application deadline for those interested in applying for the available scholarship.

Contacts

Coordinator
Prof. Giada Frenzilli Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo. 

Website http://summerschool.med.unipi.it/ 

Summer/Winter School Office Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.