Anglo-Georgian Expedition to Nokalakevi: Volunteering

Volunteering

Participation
What to expect
The Expedition provides travel, food and accommodation for participants and will receive a programme of training in all aspects of the fieldwork. This is likely to comprise excavation, recording, planning and level taking (based on a modified MoLAS single context system), Total Station survey, wet sieving, washing and recording artefacts, ceramic analysis and possibly some immediate restoration and conservation. Volunteers are offered a site tour and excursions will be arranged for rest days to other sites in West Georgia and the Black Sea coast. Working hours, subject to change, are:

6:30am = first breakfast
7:00am - 10:00am = excavation
10:00am - 10:30am = second breakfast
10:30am - 2:00pm = excavation
2:00pm - 3:00pm = siesta\swim
3:00pm = Lunch
4:00pm -8:00pm = rest / finds and archive processing
8:00pm = dinner

Our expectations
Whilst participating on the Anglo-Georgian Expedition to Nokalakevi, every effort is made to make your experience a comfortable and enjoyable one. However, you are expected to be responsible for your own well being and you will be kindly asked to observe any instruction regarding your general safety.
We also expect from you a level of responsibility, common sense and maturity of actions that will command the respect of your Georgian hosts and supervisors. Above all, we expect you to enjoy your time with us!

The facilities
The facilities
The local infrastructure has much improved over the past few years, though it is still basic by western standards. Nokalakevi generally has an adequate electricity supply though one should not be surprised at power cuts. In past years, the supply has been very poor with a low voltage, so charging electrical equipment is slow and may have undesirable effects on batteries and equipment.
Accommodation
Volunteers live a few minutes walk away from site with host families in the village, sharing their facilities. Our host families are kind and very hospitable. Squat toilets will be a novelty for many of our volunteers, but are not as frightening as some suppose. Water comes from a well. Our meals are taken communally at the Expedition dig house, which is located on site.
Washing
The dig house has cold running water for washing and squat toilets. However, the River Tekhuri is a few metres away from the dig house and is excellent for swimming, washing yourself and your clothes. Except when it rains, the river runs crystal clear over a bed of gravel and stone, warmed slightly by a sulphur spring around half a mile up stream. It provides welcome relief from the heat and humidity after a hard days work!

Food and drink
The local food is excellent, consisting of a varied and healthy balance of meat, vegetables and fruits, the majority of which is produced locally. We can accommodate vegetarians and other dietary requirements, but it is important that you discuss these issues with a director before enrolling. Our water is drawn from a local well and comes up pure and cold, but Georgia is well known for its mineral waters if you prefer to drink bottled water.

Immunisations, Health and Advice
You will be expected to organise your vaccinations well in advance of the Expedition, as some require several weeks before a potential exposure. As well as ensuring your Tetanus is up-to-date, you should be immunised against Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Diphtheria and Polio. Current medical and travel advice advice for British, American and Australian participants can be found on our links page.
Mosquito Nets, Insect Repellents are advised and you should bring your own Sterile Medical Equipment Pack.

Application
Please register your interest by April 2009 (at the latest).
If you are seriously considering joining the team, you must download and read through the orientation pack and application form. Together with the website, it will give you a comprehensive knowledge of the expedition and what to expect.
If, after reading the pack you would like to join the team, please contact the members of staff outlining your interest. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

Volunteer contribution
For undergraduate students, part or all of the maintenance cost (i.e. food, accommodation, insurance and travel within Georgia) should be included in the departmental contribution as part of the compulsory fieldwork element of your degree. If the department can not provide the full amount, you will have to make up the rest through personal finances.

Other volunteers are expected to find their own funds.

The 2008 donation was £1050 of which approximately £650 is for maintenance and approximately £400 for air fare. One can expect an increase on this for the prospective 2009 season. Please ask for details if you are interested.
We strongly recommend that you subscribe to Archaeology Abroad, where you will have the opportunity to apply for a fieldwork grant.
The charity FaRiG, (the Friends of Academic Research in Georgia), provides UK tax payers a tax-efficient means of donating to the expedition and is our preferred method.

Additional costs:
Visa: The cost of a visa for non-EEC citizens,
Vaccinations: The cost of your Immunisations,
Other: such as the items outlined on the 'things to bring' list in the Orientation Pack.

Dates and Travel
The project, to be confirmed, will run during the summer of 2009. Flights will be organised for all British participants and those from other countries who wish to fly via London, Heathrow. You must check with your Georgian embassy to see if a visa is required (EEC citizens no-longer require one). You will be met at Tbilisi airport and driven to Nokalakevi by minibus. This journey takes five or six hours allowing for rest stops.