Summer Seminars

Ancient Dress and Adornment (June 21 to July 9, 2027)

Participants in this Seminar will study Greek and Roman dress and jewelry through a combination of hands-on craft practice, close visual analysis of archaeological evidence, and study of literature and inscriptions. A series of workshops provides participants with direct experience of the labor and processes involved in creating the fundamental components of dress: textiles, jewelry, and leather goods. Through experience spinning and dyeing wool, weaving, and observation of jewelry-making techniques, they will develop an understanding of craft production that can inform their interpretation of the surviving material culture.

The Seminar will consider a range of anthropological, gender, and economic studies that represent the current thriving scholarly discourse connected to dress. It is divided into three modules: Materials and Making, Modes of Dress, and the Legacy of Ancient Dress. Participants will examine how dress operated in different eras and regions through case studies at archaeological sites and museums. Key themes will include: regional styles, luxurious and quotidian dress, ritual garb, funerary practices, and dress as a signifier of social identity. 

Taught by Professor Alexis Q. Castor (Franklin and Marshall College).

Sites and areas visited may include: Athenian Acropolis, The Benaki Museum, The Museum of Modern Greek Culture, The Ilias Lalounis Jewelry Museum, Brauron, Thebes, Delphi, Thessaloniki, and Olynthus (sites are subject to change).
 

Emergence of Civilization: The Early Bronze Age in Greece and the Aegean (July 15 to August 2, 2027)

The Early Bronze Age remains understudied relative to later periods, yet it is pivotal for understanding the roots of Aegean civilization. This immersive seminar invites participants to explore the foundational centuries of Aegean prehistory, focusing on the Early Bronze Age (EBA) as a period of transformative social, architectural, and technological innovation. Through a carefully curated itinerary spanning mainland Greece and the Cycladic islands, participants will engage directly with the landscapes, sites, and museums that illuminate the emergence of early Aegean complexity.

This experiential learning will combine field visits, object-based analysis, and group discussions to foster a nuanced understanding of the EBA as a dynamic and innovative period in its own right, marked by the development of complex social structures, architectural advancements, and technological ingenuity across the Aegean. 

Key themes running throughout the Seminar will be Maritime Interaction (seafaring and networks), Architecture and Settlement Organization (urban planning, administrative centers, domestic structures), Craft Productions and Technology (metallurgy, pottery, other crafts), and Cultural Identity and Social Organization (burial practices and material culture).

Taught by Professors Kyle Jazwa (Maastricht University) and Christopher Nuttall (Swedish Institute at Athens).

Sites and areas visited may include: Athens, Aegina, Marathon, Lerna, Argos, Corinth, Sparta, Nafplio, Kalamata (Akovitika), and the islands of Naxos, Ios, Melos, Keos and Euboea (sites are subject to change).
 

Structure of the Program

The ASCSA Summer Seminars offer unparalleled opportunity to experience the ancient sites, monuments, and culture of Greece first-hand, focusing on specific topics, under the guidance of expert professors deeply familiar with the country and topic, and up-to-date with the latest research.

When in Athens, the Summer Seminars are based at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Roughly half of the program is spent in travel throughout Greece, and participants are housed in hotels. The program's commitment to presenting a detailed view of the seminar topic, and Greece's rich history, leads to long days and extensive walking in the hot Mediterranean summer. Participants should be prepared for a rigorous program of study.

Seminar participants receive exclusive access to archaeological sites and storerooms inaccessible to others and enjoy presentations on ongoing excavations by preeminent scholars. Internationally known scholars of Greek history, art, and archaeology will participate as guest lecturers in both seminars.

Participants are expected to prepare and deliver on-site reports, based on research conducted in their home libraries before the program begins. A typical day on the program has many hours at sites and museums, extensive walking on uneven and rocky terrain, and Mediterranean temperatures well above 34ºC/93ºF for extended periods, often without ready access to shade. Prospective applicants who feel uncertain about their ability to participate in all program activities are encouraged to contact the ASCSA office for more information. 

A Typical Day

This is an intensive program. A typical day starts at 7:00AM and ends at 7:00PM. A group will usually visit 3 to 7 archaeological sites and/or museums during the day. Each visit may include a director’s presentation, tours by invited specialists, and one or more student reports. There is much standing and walking - up to 75% of the day. Participants will walk multiple miles (5+ miles) a day on-site and in museums with limited shade and limited seating. Many sites have steep inclines and can be rocky with uneven paths. Accessible paths are not always available in Greece at museums and sites. The Mediterranean summer sun is intense (hot, direct, high UV), temperatures are regularly in the 90s or low 100s Fahrenheit. Please be aware of these conditions that may factor into your planning because participants are expected to participate fully in all program activities. If you have concerns about the physical requirements of the program, please contact the Programs Department (application@ascsa.org) before you apply. 

In Athens, participants stay in Loring Hall, the residence of the American School, which has comfortable, modern accommodations with air conditioning. Buffet meals are served in the Loring Hall dining room most days. Travel in Athens is by walking or public transport (including the efficient metro system). On day trips and extended trips, most travel is by private chartered bus with a licensed professional driver; island trips involve ferry rides. Lunch may be picnic-style or at local eateries depending on the day’s schedule. Beach stops for swimming are scheduled whenever possible. Continental breakfasts are provided at the hotel every morning. Participants eat dinner on their own at local restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Dinner hour in Greece is typically later than in North America, with many people eating between 8-11pm.

Facilities

The Summer Seminars are based at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens on Souidias Street 54 in Kolonaki. Participants enjoy 24-hour access to the world-class Blegen Library, including the computer lab, printers, wireless internet access, and individual study space. The hours of operation and any special arrangements for the Gennadeion Library, the Archives, the Wiener Lab, and the Makriyannis Exhibits are posted on their respective websites. All our facilities are ADA compliant.

While in Athens, participants will be housed in Loring Hall which provides comfortable accommodations with private bathrooms and air conditioning, a welcoming and supportive staff, home-style Greek cooking, and gardens and verandas where to enjoy your meal or beverage. Buffet meals are served in the Loring Hall dining room most days. The School also offers numerous opportunities (tea hour, ouzo hour, lectures, etc.) for informal conversation, learning, and networking with professors and students working at the ASCSA, and with members of the international scholarly community in Athens.

Outside of Athens, participants will stay in double and triple hotel rooms. Hotels are typically C class, clean and secure establishments with private bathrooms and A/C available. Most hotels have wi-fi, but it is not always fast or reliable. Continental breakfasts are provided at the hotel every morning. 

Lunch may be picnic-style or at local eateries depending on the day’s schedule. Beach stops for swimming are scheduled whenever possible. Participants eat dinner on their own at local restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Dinner hour in Greece is typically later than in North America, with many people eating between 8-11pm.

Participants/eligibility

Enrollment is open to graduate and advanced undergraduate students, and to high school teachers and college or university faculty of Anthropology, Archaeology, Art History, Classics, History, Museum Studies, Theater, and related subjects. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants. The language of instruction is English, and the program is open to all nationalities studying worldwide. 

An attempt is made to ensure that each program includes undergraduate students, graduate students, high school teachers, and college professors, though there is no quota for any category. The American School of Classical Studies at Athens does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national or ethnic origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation when considering admission to any form of membership or application for employment.

The program is intellectually rigorous and can be physically challenging.  Museum visits may involve long periods of standing, while many site visits require hiking uphill in the Mediterranean summer heat.  Participants should be ready and able to work cooperatively as part of a close-knit group.

Participants are expected to participate fully in all program activities.  Applicants uncertain about their ability to participate fully in all program activities or in need of accommodations are encouraged to contact the ASCSA office (application@ascsa.org).

Costs

The fee for each 2027 Seminar is $2,875. Fee includes tuition, room for the entire 18-day period, board on weekdays in Athens (i.e., three meals a day on Monday through Friday), travel within Greece, and museum and site fees. (Rates and fees are subject to change without notice.)

International airfare, most meals outside Athens and on weekends, and incidental expenses are the participant's responsibility. 

The ASCSA offers funding opportunities based on academic merit without extra forms to submit. Several national and regional Classics organizations also offer scholarships specifically for Summer Seminar participants. More information at https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/programs/summer-session/ss-scholarships. 

Financial Support

The ASCSA offers a range of Summer Seminar fellowships.  Several national and regional Classics organizations also offer scholarships specifically for Summer Seminar participants. Every applicant will automatically be reviewed for an ASCSA scholarship, without extra forms to submit. If awarded an ASCSA scholarship, we will notify you in your admission letter. 

Academic credit

The American School is not a degree-granting institution. No grades are given for its programs, nor are transcripts provided. 

An optional final exam at the end of each seminar may be given upon request. The director(s) of the the program will write a letter to the member’s home institution recommending that credit be granted, provided that the member has satisfactorily participated in the program and passed the final exam. 

If you are interested in the course credit option, please contact the Summer Seminar Director(s).

Application

Deadline for the online application and two recommendations is January 11, 2027 (11:59pm ET). Applicants will be notified in February.

Link to the online application: https://ascsa.submittable.com/submit/270462/ascsa-summer-program-application
You may use this form to apply to the Summer Session and Seminar(s) simultaneously, if you are applying to more than one summer program. 

Admission to the Summer Program is granted on the basis of academic performance and letters of recommendation. Required application materials include:

• A statement of interest highlighting the applicant’s qualifications, skills, and reasons for wanting or needing to participate in the summer program (maximum length 500-600 words);
• If you are applying for multiple programs, a statement that indicates and discusses your preferences (maximum 250 words);  
• Curriculum vitae, which includes the colleges and universities attended, with dates of attendance, degrees awarded or expected, any awards and honors attained, any earlier fellowships, grants, and scholarships received, as well as any teaching and other professional experience with institutions and dates indicated;
• Student applicants must submit transcripts or the equivalent from all post-secondary education education (copies and/or unofficial transcripts are acceptable). Transcripts in scripts other than Latin or Greek must be translated into English. Faculty members (K-12 and all levels of post-secondary education) are exempt from the transcript requirement; 
• Two letters of recommendation by individuals well-acquainted with the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses by the application deadline. Recommenders will automatically be sent instructions about how to upload their recommendation, once the applicant submits their application online. Alternatively, applicants may choose to send the requests for letters of recommendation before their online application submission is complete by clicking the "Send Request Now" button on the application form.

Applicants for ASCSA sponsored funding can check a box on the online application form to be considered for all internal scholarships for which they are eligible. If awarded an ASCSA scholarship, we will notify you in your admission letter. A separate application is not necessary for ASCSA sponsored funding. However, external funding opportunities (e.g., CANE, NYCC, etc.) have their own application processes and requirements. Please, carefully review eligibility requirements for each funding opportunity.

Visas

Any U.S. or Canadian citizen who plans to spend more than 90 days within a six-month period in Greece and/or any other member of the Schengen countries (namely, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) must obtain a special visa BEFORE entry into the Schengen zone. This visa must be issued by a Greek consulate/embassy in the country where the applicant is a resident, and the application process can take two or more months

Please note that the Summer Session itself accounts for 45 days and a Seminar is at least 18 days, and any participant who plans to combine, for example, a spring or fall study abroad program in Europe with the ASCSA Summer Program(s) may exceed the 90-day limit, and therefore may need a visa. For further information on visas and residence permits, click here.

Ready to apply?

The American School of Classical Studies at Athens does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national or ethnic origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation when considering admission to any form of membership or application for employment.

For additional questions or information:

Contact the Programs Office in the United States at application@ascsa.org.