Sponsored by

Institute of Cistercian Studies
Medieval Institute
Department of History
Diether H. Haenicke Institute of International and Area Studies

SITE

The Grandmontine priory of Rauzet, in the country village of Rozet, seventeen miles from the city of Angoulême, in the French département of the Charente, was built in the early 1160s for monks of a little known reform monastic Order. Its north-sited church, a rare and particularly fine example of romanesque architecture, and two arched doorways from the medieval guest house remain. Only one other Grandmontine monastery has been excavated, so Rauzet will form the basis for a comparative study, and will increase our knowledge of concealed features such as the water supply and drainage of a medieval monastery.

DATES    

Arrival at Rauzet 18 July–Departure from Rauzet 17 August.

DESCRIPTION

In 2003 two important areas of the priory will be excavated:
1) The Porticum, a sort of Church annex used by the monks for receiving guests. Work on the already partially excavated outer wall will establish the exact form of this structure.
2) The underground water channel which carried fresh water from a nearby spring and passed beneath the buildings to feed the cloister lavabo,; and the passageway which led from the cloister to the monks’ cemetery. This entails trenching along the end wall and also alongside the church.

ACADEMIC CREDIT

To receive academic credit, undergraduate and MA students should register for HIST 500 (Ph. D. candidates HIST 650). Students may also participate as volunteers (no academic credit).

REQUIREMENTS

Students are responsible for purchasing their own round-trip air and train fare; for obtaining a passport; for getting a current tetanus inoculation; and for registering with the Study Abroad Office at WMU.

LODGING

On site. Accommodations are simple, but indoors. Meals, hot and cold running water are provided. Participants are required to share light household chores..

SCHEDULE

Participants will be expected to work on site five days a week, with a generous break at lunchtime. Training classes will precede work in the morning. Optional field trips to archaeological sites in the area may be arranged. One day a week will be entirely free.

SUPPLIES

Jeans and tennis shoes, a good supply of light colored tee-shirts, light-weight gardening gloves, knee-pads if you want them, at least one warm sweater or sweat shirt, a light rain jacket, a bathing suit and towels. Shorts and sandals are not appropriate as work clothes. In addition to personal toiletries, pack soap and a face cloth.

LANGUAGE

A knowledge of French is not required, but will be helpful. There will be French students working at the site and students will need to travel from Paris airport to the Gare Montparnasse, from which trains depart for Angoul�me, and back again.

INSTRUCTOR

British archaeologist Carole A. Hutchison is a graduate of the Universities of London and Perugia. She worked at Etruscan sites in Italy and at the Grandmontine priories of Pinel, near Toulouse, and Craswall, in Herefordshire, before beginning work at Rauzet in 1991. Among her publications are ÔTwo Grandmontine Priories: Pinel and CraswallÕ, Current Archaeology 126 (1991) 274-279, and The Hermit Monks of Grandmont, a study of the history and architecture of the Order. The cemetery passage excavation will be supervised by an anthropologist specializing in burial practices.

RESTRICTIONS

Before final acceptance, students are required to demonstrate to the ICS that they have a valid passport and a return trip ticket and have been inoculated against tetanus; to give the name, address, and telephone number of their next of kin to the ICS; and to register with the WMU Study Abroad office (which can also arrange health insurance abroad). Patience, attention to detail, and willingness to work as a team, accept instruction, and share housekeeping duties are imperative. Persons suffering from asthma, hay fever, and rural allergies are not encouraged to apply

ALUMNI

Students who have participated in the dig are ready and willing to talk with interested students. Contact The Institute of Cistercian Studies to arrange a meeting (387-8920, cistpub@wmich.edu).

APPLICATION

Written letters of applications must be received by 15 February 2003. Submit to Dr E. Rozanne Elder, Director. Institute of Cistercian Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo 49008. Notification of provisional acceptance will be sent by 6 April.

view site plan        back to the top          back to the home page