Good Academic Standing
Good Judicial Standing

The Summer Archaeology Program in Belgium offers a unique opportunity, unduplicated by any other program anywhere, for EIU students (including guest students specially enrolled from other institutions) to learn about the principles and practice of archaeology as a “crossroads discipline”, bringing together the perspectives offered by the Humanities with the methods of the Sciences, by working alongside other American and European students on the excavation of a medieval castle in Belgium.  Students will learn the basic methods, procedures and skills of medieval field archaeology in the course of a four-week campaign at Walhain Castle, near Louvain-la-Neuve.  These involve stratigraphic excavation, field drawing (mapping and section drawing), preparation for on-site photography, artefact recording and treatment, field cataloguing and initial finds processing.  Students will learn the contextual parameters of the Walhain project by situating the castle historically in the evolution of the Walloon region of Belgium from Roman through Early Modern times, and situating the research project scientifically in the developing field of medieval archaeology.

Students are engaged all day, Monday-Friday, either in fieldwork on the excavation site, or in classroom lectures and laboratory visits. Work is directly supervised by Dr. Young and Dr. Verslype, with the assistance of American or Belgian graduate students in archaeology. All students keep a program journal, which records their fieldwork and required lectures and visits and submit it for evaluation at the end of the month.  In addition, they write a final essay.  Honors students prepare and present a research report. Graduate students research and submit a 15-25 page paper on an approved topic, using resources in a foreign language if possible. There is one all-day Saturday field trip to the medieval city of  Tournai, and other archaeological sites in the countryside.

Tentative Schedule

June 29-  Arrival …etc  (cut the Namur excursion-- there will be time for this later)
 June 30- Orientation etc
July 1-4-  Excavation begins. Training in excavation methodology (by-sub groups) and opening of new trenches.
July 4- Morning on site.  Afternoon lecture: Introduction to  Medieval Archaeology (Dr. Young)
July 5-6 -  Weekend free.  Optional excursions to sites easily reached by train will be proposed to students interested (Brussels, Namur, Ghent, Bruges and the Flemish coast).
July 7-10  Excavation continues…etc (keep text now under July 14…)
July 11--  keep text under this date
July 12-- keep text
July 13-- Free
July 14-17-- Excavation continues.  Students may be shifted to experience different parts of site. One evening of required artefact washing and inventory at the residence.
July 18-- keep text as it stands
July 19-21 -- Free.  Three day weekend to allow more extended student travel.
July 22-24-- Excavation continues all day on site, as conditions permit.
July 25--  keep text as it stands
July 26-27 -- Free. Excursions possible.
July 28-30-- keep text as reads
July 31 --Final lecture (Dr. Young). Student presentations and essay. Journals submitted.
Aug 1--  Clean up on site and at residence, as required.  Preparation for departure
Aug 2-- Students transported to Brussels airport for departure.

Make course/substitution selections on your EIU Program Application. The credit hours associated with your selections may not exceed the credit hours allocated for this program: 4

Below are the choices available for this program:

Approved Substitute: None (SubID 350)

Approved Substitute: None (SubID 353)

Approved Substitute: HIS 3990G (SubID 351)

Approved Substitute: ESC 3990G (SubID 352)

Students stay in the student housing of Louvain-la-Neuve.  The cost of all meals in Louvain-la-Neuve, on site and on field trips is included in the program fee.  Breakfast is taken in the suite kitchen; there is a picnic lunch on site; students dine in restaurants in Louvain-la-Neuve offering a choice of dishes.  Menus are available on request.

At least two pre-departure orientations will be provided and are required for all participants.

Your faculty leader will hold one of these orientations, where he/she will cover information on safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural, and religious conditions in the host country(ies), as well as planning logistics.

The Office of Study Aborad (OSA) will hold the other orientation. They will cover general information about traveling abroad to different areas of the world and facilitate a panel discussion composed of students who have already participated in faculty-led study abroad programs.

The program opens overseas with an orientation to living  in Louvain-la-Neuve conducted by staff of the university there (morning) and an on-site orientation to Walhain Castle and working there by the Instructor and staff of the CRAN (afternoon). Excellent medical facilities are available in Louvain.

Note, guest students will not be required to travel to Charleston for any pre-trip orientations; other preparatory arrangements will be made.

You are strongly encouraged to read the U.S. State Department's Consular Information Sheet on your host countries. It will provide you with a great deal of information to help you prepare for your trip.

**Please be aware that you are responsible for obtaining the most up-to-date information on foreign entry requirements. The Office of Study Abroad only provides general information, as regulations and procedures are always changing. Please consult the Consulate for more information. **