Katina T. Lillios, professor of anthropology
Thanks to the assistance of a Global Research Partnership Award (GRPA) from International Programs, University of Iowa Professor of Anthropology Katina T. Lillios, along with a group of UI students, will travel to Spain this coming July for the unique opportunity to participate in an archaeological excavation and develop important skills in research collaboration.
Given the increasing importance of globalization in higher education research, the GRPA was created to help initiate new international partnerships, providing seed funding to help UI departments and their faculty develop international connections that add value to and help advance research and discovery at the UI.
Lillios and her colleague Dr. Luis Benítez de Lugo will be excavating a Bronze Age ceremonial center and burial ground, known as Castillejo del Bonete.
"Dr. Luis Benítez de Lugo, from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, has been excavating at the site for the past 15 years," said Lillios. "What is intriguing about the site is that it was used both before and after a major episode of drought, around 2200 BC. Therefore, we will be able to explore how climate change shapes people’s lives and their ritual practices. For me, it will be a great learning experience, as this is a region of Spain I have never worked in before."
"This Global Research Partnership Award will make it possible for UI students to be involved with an exciting opportunity to carry out investigations of an important site in an international setting. In the process, they will develop important skills in research, collaboration and fieldwork, as well as learn about the cultural history of Spain through immersion in a small community."
Based in Terrinches, Spain, a small town (pop. 748) in the La Mancha region, this month-long project will provide Spanish archaeologists and scientists a new chance to work with American students and scholars, and strengthen relationships between the departments of anthropology, art, art history, and Spanish and Portuguese at UI. For faculty and students, there will be opportunities to develop research related to the mapping, digital visualization, and analyses of the artifacts and bones from the site.
Along with assistance from the GRPA, Lilios has also received funding from the municipality of Terrinches to help provide financial assistance to UI students.
Although students will not receive academic credit, Lillios, who has conducted several previous archaeological excavations with students in Portugal, has witnessed first-hand the professional benefits of international travel.
"This Global Research Partnership Award will make it possible for UI students to be involved with an exciting opportunity to carry out investigations of an important site in an international setting and, in the process, develop important skills in research collaboration and fieldwork, as well as learn about the cultural history of Spain through immersion in a small community."
Join University of Iowa Professor Katina Lillios in collaboration with Professor Luis Benítez de Lugo from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid for a month-long archaeological field school at the Bronze Age site of Castillejo del Bonete, in La Mancha, Spain. Gain knowledge in archaeology and experience life and culture in a small Spanish town.
Prerequisite: Spanish
(2 years college, or 4 years high school, or equivalent experience)
Contact: Katina Lillios (katina-lillios@uiowa.edu)
