The Ravenna-Classe Project: Archaeology of a Deserted City

The aim of the project is to carry out archaeological excavations in cooperation with European organizations in the harbour quarter of Classe, Ravenna. This area of the settlement has crucial importance from the archaeological and topographical point of view, because it is situated on the channel that connected Classe with the Adriatic Sea and the city of Ravenna. It is characterized by the presence of buildings used for storage, working, and the production of goods. The project, therefore, will add new data for our knowledge about the inner structure of an important European city, Classe, in the antique, late antique and early medieval period. This excavation will help to verify the quality and the degree of involvement of the city centers of Classe and Ravenna in the economic picture of the late Roman and Byzantine empires.

The project also aims at different activities in the field of cultural heritage. The excavation will contribute to the diffusion of advanced research technologies and methods by the exchange of skills and techniques between different groups of experts and students. Furthermore, the archaeological heritage of the late antique and early medieval period will be presented for the wider public with the help of multilingual websites and programs designed for the dissemination of new research data.

Teams of students and experts of the participating institutions will work together on the site and the research partners will organize seminars to summarize the project results.

Main events of the project

PROGETTO CLASSE: ARCHEOLOGIA DI UNA CITTA' ABBANDONATA (Kick-off meeting)
Ravenna, November 28 - December 1, 2005
Hosting organization: Fondazione Parco archaologico di Classe

VRBES EXTINCTAE: ARCHAEOLOGIES OF ABANDONED CLASSICAL SITES
Leicester, Saturday, May 13, 2006
Hosting organization: University of Leicester

A one day conference on approaches to and results of archaeologies of 'lost' Roman towns

TRANSLATION, TRANSFORMATIO. CHANGES OF LATE ANTIQUE AND EARLY MEDIEVAL CHRISTIAN CULT PLACES AND SITES IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Budapest, Saturday, September 16, 2006
Hosting organization: CEU, Budapest

LA IGLESIA DE SAN SEVERO CLASSE - RAVENNA
Barcelona, Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Hosting organization: University of Barcelona

PROGETTO CLASSE: ARCHEOLOGIA DI UNA CITTA' ABBANDONATA (Final conference)
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Hosting organization: Ravennantica, Ravenna

CLASSE: ARCHEOLOGIA DI UNA CITTA' ABBANDONATA
Wednesday, October 25, 2006 (Final conference)
Indagini Archeologiche Presso il Complesso di San Severo
Hosting organization: University of Bologna