Sometime in the early 5th century BC a future Greek archaeological site was created that happened, by its very nature, to encapsulate a great deal of the meaning concerning what it meant to Greeks to be Greek. By this I mean it recalled certain informative and quintessential ideals of Heroism and Identity which mattered at the very beginning of what has come to be known as the Western Tradition, in the long shadow of which many of us still live. This site is located near the Temple of Aphaia, on the mountain at the heart of upland Aegina, an island in the Saronic Gulf south of Athens. This island’s history is part of the fabric and backdrop of the titanic events that made Greece and its city states the starting point for the developments and changes which overtook Europe in succeeding centuries. Think of Marathon. Plateia. Salamis. Thermopylae! If you wish to learn about what kind of crucial data archaeology can make useful to history, take this class. The techniques of archaeology will take center stage as we excavate this site but it is the wider meaning with which the results will put us in touch that comprises its real value: what were those Greeks thinking? Why? How do we know? And what has it got to do with us, 2,600 years later? These and other pressing questions will be asked and answered at this camp. The excitement of learning fundamental things about the human condition, admittedly from an Ancient Greek perspective, will be palpable. Don’t miss it! Camp will run from 10-?4. Remember that you should come dressed for the weather, with snack, drink and lunch, and possibly bug spray, so we can get about the demanding business of digging a quite challenging site.