Florida State University will host a two-day event this weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Department of Classics’ archaeological excavation research site in Italy.
The festivities, slated for Friday, Sept. 8 and Saturday, Sept. 9, continue the department’s yearlong commemoration of the Cetamura del Chianti archaeological site and inauguration of the Museum at the Origins of Chianti in Gaiole, Italy, houses artifacts unearthed over the last half-century of excavations.
“Although we have had a number of special events and celebrations in Italy, we have not yet brought the celebration home,” said Nancy de Grummond, Distinguished Research Professor and the M. Lynette Thompson Professor of Classics. “The events’ programming will help us look back on these 50 years and take stock of everything we’ve accomplished.”
Cetamura first opened for excavation in September 1973 as a training site and academic course where FSU students learned basic archaeological and excavation skills. Five years later, in 1978, the experience transitioned from a class to a program. Known today as the Archaeology in Tuscany Program, the course is jointly affiliated with the Department of Classics, FSU International Programs and the FSU Florence Study Center.
The Cetamura settlement, located in the mountains of Chianti in Tuscany, was occupied by three major groups in its history: Etruscans and Romans in antiquity and Italians during the Middle Ages. FSU faculty, staff and students have studied the site, aiming to uncover the realities of daily life during each period by examining a variety of excavated artifacts, which range from water-logged grape seeds to pottery and coins to wells and the remains of a Roman bath.
“This program has been very successful in training students to become professors, field archaeologists and other professionals,” said de Grummond, who has served as the director of excavations and archaeological research at Cetamura since 1983. “Now, with the addition of a museum studies component, they have an extra arrow in their quiver with which they can enter the job market and have a very fruitful career.”
The celebration events include:
“Night at the Museums”
6-8 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 8
Dodd Hall Auditorium
Hear highlights from an exciting summer of work in Italy, beginning with the presentation “Excavating the Past, Molding the Future: Life at Cetamura del Chianti Through the Years,” which provides a fascinating look at life on the dig from a student archaeologist’s perspective, followed by stories from the inauguration of the Civic Museum at the Origins of Chianti. The evening concludes with a gala reception in the Dodd Hall Heritage Museum.
“Cetamura Day”
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 9
FSU Alumni Center Ballroom
This conference, held 50 years to the day from the opening of the dig site Sept. 9, 1973, showcases the latest Cetamura site research by students, professors, and world-class lab scientists.
Events are free and open to the public. Visit cetamuradelchianti.com for a detailed schedule of events and to learn more about the excavations at Cetamura.