Excavate Ancient Sites as a Volunteer

[Eleatic Guest]

Find a dig (with "g") offers layman and volunteers to participate in archaeological excavations. Passing by such sites around the Med as a tourist many times I have developed romantic notions of bending down with a toothbrush in century-old dust, roasting in the merciless Med sun and tons of sand between the teeth and in the ears. I can think of camaraderie between the team members in adverse circumstances, in the evening good old campfire romantic with somebody striking not a right tone on the guitar and infrequent supply trips to the next God-forsaken human dwelling feeling like city trips to London or Paris. Not to mention that short Khaki trousers can look good on many a woman.

In short, I am hopeless romantic about it and I want to know if you have made any such holidays as volunteer and what do professionals think of them and their contribution?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

No, but sounds much like the way I imagine it!
I wish I had the time and money to dedicate to one of these.
Looked at Vindolanda a few years back, and a few in the Med, but never persued them.

[Epictetus]

I have always wanted to do this. Last summer I even did some research on volunteering, but never followed up on it.

But I'm a bit curious. I looked at an Italian dig at random and noticed the cost:

Cost

US/Canada: $3,300
Rest of the world: €2,325

Evidently this only covers room and board, meals, and a few extras like "seminars / drawing workshop." The company administering this one in particular is a limited liability company, not a non-profit. Is this a money-making venture? There isn't anything wrong with that, if the real academic work isn't impeded, but I would want to know where, exactly, my money is going.