Bio/Archaeological Techniques and Research Center
BIOARCH CANADA
About the Course
Location: Rapoltu Mare, Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania
Dates: June 6- July 31, 2027
· Session 1: June 6- July 3, 2027
· Session 2: July 4 - July 31, 2027
Housing: a nice hotel, about 20km from the site, 2-3 participants per room, private bathrooms available in each room. Transportation provided to and from the site and lab.
Meals: breakfast and lunch are served Mon-Fri; traditional country cuisine; we can accommodate vegetarian diets. However, we are not able to offer a vegan or gluten-free option. Dinners are available at the hotel restaurant at the participants cost.
Cost: US$ 2795 per 4 -week session (4 weeks mandatory)
Fee includes: registration and field fees, lectures, field and laboratory gear, housing and meals as described above
About the Project
Located halfway between Sarmizegetusa Ulpia Traiana and Apulum—the two primary cities of the Dacian Provinces—our site sits along Dacia’s main Imperial road, near Europe’s largest gold deposits in the Apuseni Mountains.
Our core research aims to explore key questions of identity perception, presentation, and representation in Roman Dacia. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys revealed a sprawling rural villa covering approximately 0.7 hectares of built space—a palatial site unique to the region. Subsequent excavations have brought to light two-story structures with painted plaster walls, potential colonnades, auxiliary buildings, and a rich array of artifacts.
Key Discoveries & Project Timeline
2014–2016: Initiated regional surveys and excavated the main gate complex. Subsequent GPR work uncovered the full scope of the palatial villa complex.
2016–2019: Commenced intensive excavation of the main villa building, revealing extensive structural features.
2020: Uncovered the central hypocaust (heating system), the main gate’s access road, and what appears to be the cemetery for the earliest village of Rapoltu Mare.
2021–2022: Discovered a rare in situ wooden floor in one of the site's earliest structures, exposed a previously unknown building, and identified evidence of a bone-working workshop.
2026 Season: Our work focuses on fully exposing the in situ wooden floor to uncover the identities of the villa’s first inhabitants, while expanding research into the complex's internal layout.
The Field Experience
Our program pairs active field research with lectures on Daco-Roman history, material culture analysis, and digital photogrammetry. Surrounded by Transylvania’s natural landscapes, historic churches, and medieval castles, participants gain comprehensive, hands-on laboratory and excavation training in an unforgettable cultural setting.
Expand Your Research: To gain a broader range of archaeological experience, participants can pair this field school with our Georgian Neolithic or Medieval Cemetery Funerary Excavation as well, for a total of 8 weeks in the field.
Opening the excavations. Aerial view of the excavations of the villa. Small find - Iron Nail, Roman period. Small find, pottery piece. Early excavations at Rapolt. Reenactors at Dachfest. JP supervising the excavations. A real Roman lunch, cooked by Angie! Sifting at Rapolt. The morning greeting by the site's friends! Lunch at Utsa's! Excavations at Rapoltu Mare. View of the Saxon church in the village of Rapoltu Mare. Chillin' after lunch. Aerial view of a Roman Castrum. The forum at Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa. The amphitheaterat Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa. Corvin Castle.
Life by the Imperial Roads: Identity and Wealth on the Roman Frontier - Roman Research Excavation and Survey
Regional Overview
Located on the outskirts of Rapoltu Mare in Hunedoara County, Romania, our research area sits in the heart of Southern Transylvania—a region defined by Europe’s richest gold deposits and a deeply layered history.
From the Dacian Kingdom’s political and religious center at Sarmizegetusa Regia to the Imperial provincial capital of Sarmizegetusa Ulpia Traiana (the first Roman city north of the Danube), southwestern Transylvania served as a crucial political, economic, and military hub. During the Roman colonial era (102–271 AD), the region became a dynamic hub of provincial life, marked by complex processes of colonization and cultural integration.
Strategic & Cultural Context
Imperial Connections: Bordered to the south by the Gold Mountains and the preserved Roman mining town of Alburnus Maior (Roșia Montană), the area lies at the intersection of major Imperial roads connecting Sarmizegetusa to Apulum (Alba Iulia), the capital of Dacia Apulensis.
Trade & Navigation: Positioned directly along the Mureș River—Transylvania's primary navigable waterway—the landscape facilitated vibrant trade and travel.
Settlement Diversity: The region featured a dense network of settlements, including small towns (municipia), rural villages (vici), river harbors, and road stations (mansiones and cauponae).
Thermal & Rural Sites: A abundance of mineral and thermal springs spurred the development of bath complexes at nearby Aquae (Călan) and Germisara (Geoagiu-Băi), alongside numerous countryside estates (villae rusticae).