Overview
The Roman town of Aguntum was rediscovered in the early 20th century. Since 2006, ongoing excavations have been focused on the heart of the town—the forum area. The latest findings and analysis of artifacts suggest a flourishing Mediterranean city nestled amidst the Alpine landscape. A large number of fragmented rock crystals were recovered from the city center. These findings offer insights into an extensive trade network, showcasing Aguntum as the sole known Roman hub for this coveted, high value resource material that was highly desired in ancient times. The presence of these artifacts indicates Aguntum’s status as a pivotal transshipment center, where commerce and cultural exchange converged.
Our research is focused on the social and economic mechanisms that powered this small Alpine town during the years of its existence. What motivated its establishment? How did Aguntum thrived and prospered during the first three centuries CE? Why did Aguntum’s power, trade and commerce declined and what brought to its final demise?
The Austria Aguntum Program
Screening for artifacts
The Austria Aguntum Program
Learning to use a Total Station
The Austria Aguntum Program
Modern structure protecting Roman temple
The Austria Aguntum Roman Archaeology Field School & Research Project
Student drawing profile
The Austria Aguntum Roman Archaeology Field School & Research Project
Students excavating a floor
The Austria Aguntum Roman Archaeology Field School & Research Project
Research station at Aguntum
The Austria Aguntum Roman Archaeology Field School & Research Project
Excavating a house floor
The Austria Aguntum Roman Archaeology Field School & Research Project
Preparing surface for photography
The Austria Aguntum Roman Archaeology Field School & Research Project
Taking a break for artifact screening
Instructor(s)
All field school directors are experts in their field and passionate about their work. To discuss the suitability of this program for your career goals – whether within or outside academia – you are invited to contact the directors directly. For a broader discussion which ARC program to choose, you are welcome to contact our staff directly – you can do that through our “Contact Us” page.
Testimonials & Program evaluation
Student Fees (Tuition)
What is Covered
- DEPOSIT IS PART OF TOTAL TUITION COST
- Costs of Instruction
- Room & Board
- Cost of Academic Credit Units
- Health and Evacuation Insurance
Read Before You Pay
- Application: You must apply online for this program – application is free
- Deposit: A $300 nonrefundable deposit (part of the total tuition cost) is required to secure a space in the program
- Credit Card Fee: Payments with credits cards incur 3% processing fee
- Late Fee: A $100 Late Fee will be added to the program costs if tuition is not paid in full by payment deadline
- Cancellation Policy: Carefully read our Cancellation Policy before committing to attending our programs
- Trip Cancellation Insurance: Trip cancellation insurance is not provided by ARC. Such policies have changed due to Covid 19. If you wish to purchase an insurance policy that covers pandemic contingencies, explore Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) plans. Insuremytrip or Travel Guard are possible websites where you may explore different insurance policies.
Accommodations
Students will stay at the Aguntum field house (“Grabungshaus”), constructed in 1999 a walking distance from the site. The house offers bedrooms with 4 beds each, with shared showers and a kitchen. Additionally, there is a common room adjacent to the kitchen, and amenities such as a washing machine, laundry racks and WiFi.
Diet
Breakfast and lunch are provided at the excavation house. Food items for these meals are provided by the project. Dinner will take place at the restaurant next to the excavation house and cost will be covered by the project. If weather permits, there will also be a communal barbecue at the garden of the “Grabungshaus” once a week.
Travel Information
We suggest you hold purchasing your airline ticket until six (6) weeks before the program begins. Natural disasters, political changes, weather conditions & a range of other factors may require the cancellation of a field school. ARC typically makes a final Go/No Go decision six weeks before program begins. To protect students from potential financial loss, we urge you to purchase airline tickets only six weeks prior to program beginning.
Lienz is the main (and only) town in Eastern Tyrol. Students will be picked up at the Train Station of Lienz (Lienz in Osttirol Bahnhof, Bahnhofsplatz 1, 9900 Lienz) on the first day of the field school at 6pm. Students will be met at the “Baguette” Bistro, located within the station building. Students arriving directly to the project are advised to travel to Vienna International Airport (VIE) and take the train from there to Lienz. Students traveling prior to the field school in Austria/Europe may wish to consider taking the train from Salzburg to Lienz (one change) or the bus connection from Innsbruck to Lienz (direct bus)
Visa Information
There are no special visa requirements for U.S. citizens travelling to Austria, as long as you do not stay longer than 3 months. Passport’s expiration date should exceed the stay by at least 3 months.
Citizens of other countries are asked to check the embassy website page at their home country for specific visa requirements.
Meeting Point
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| July 5, 2026 | 6:00pm | Train Station of Lienz, at the “Baguette” Bistro, located within the station building |
If you missed your connection or your flight is delayed, please call, text or email project director immediately. A local emergency cell phone number will be provided to all enrolled students.
Safety
Our primary mission is student education. Traveling and conducting field work involves risk and students interested in participating in any field schools must weigh whether the potential risk is worth the value of education earned. While risk is inherent in everything we do, we do not take risk lightly. We engage in intensive review of each field school location prior to approval and continue to monitor conditions on the ground to ensure a safe and wholesome education experience.
Students attending our international programs are covered by a comprehensive Health Insurance Policy that covers physical illness or injury, mental or chronic conditions and medical evacuation – if needed. This insurance policy has no deductibles and 100% of the costs are covered up to $250,000 (for more, see here). In addition, we provide Political & Natural Disaster Evacuation policy, which allows us to remove students from program location if conditions change.
Students attending our domestic programs (within the US) must have their own health insurance. Program directors are familiar with local authorities and if in need of evacuation, local emergency services and/or law enforcement will be notified and activated.
We have an explicit and robust Harassment & Discrimination Policy, outlined on our Health & Safety page. If students feel they cannot discuss personal safety issues with program staff, they are welcome to call the ARC emergency hotline and talk directly with an ARC staff member.
Call (+1 323 740-1805) or email (admin@anthroctr.org) if you have questions about the safety of any program.