group of students pose on a Greek mountaintop
The scenery around Delphi

Theresa Cole: Athenian Agora Excavation

young woman lies down under sifting contraption at archaeological excavation site
A Day in the Life at Pottery Wash featuring area supervisor Hannah

During the Summer of 2025, I had the privilege of volunteering with the American School of Classical Studies in Athens’ excavation at the Athenian Agora. During my time as a volunteer, I gained valuable hands-on field experiences, worked closely with ceramic specialists, and made meaningful connections with fellow graduate students. Aside from these experiences in the field, I also became intimately familiar with the topography of urban Athens. On non-working days, I had the opportunity to visit some of the many material culture museums in the city, such as the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis museum, as well as visiting sites outside of the urban center such as Marathon and Delphi.

 As a volunteer, I was able to learn applied archaeobotany methods through flotation and heavy/light fraction sorting. This experience not only broadened my professional knowledge but also provided insights and experiences that I hope to incorporate into my future pedagogy. In addition to working alongside archaeobotantists, I also had the opportunity to assist ceramic specialists with sorting, reading, and recording pottery finds from the field. This experience strengthened and expanded skills I had already begun developing during my time working survey projects but in different find contexts. 

The day to day experience in the city greatly improved my understanding of the ancient urban development of the city, especially in terms of the interaction of public spaces during the transition into the Roman Imperial period in Greece. I find that this experience with the topography of the city will be a crucial aid in my future as an educator. On the occasions that I was able to venture outside of the city, I was able to engage with the landscapes that various sites are located in. The most impactful of these experiences was visiting Delphi, where I was able to engage in materials featured on the AQE (Archaeology Qualifying Exam), as well as take in the visual aspects of the landscape of the site.