» Program Description » Research » Course Offerings » Staff » Accomodations » Living in Modern Cuba » Program Costs » Application » Links		PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Arimo River Valley as seen from Loma del Convento. Isn't it illegal to go to Cuba? What will I be doing? How should I prepare? We invite you to join us on the south coast of the Republic of Cuba for an exciting semester of work and study in field archaeology and Latin American culture. Students successfully completing a 10-week field work and study program will earn 15 hours of University of Alabama course credit. Those selected for this program will participate in the first major Cuban-U.S. archaeological research collaboration since the 1950s, and will work side by side with a Cuban team of archaeologists and university students. The excavations focus on the site of Loma del Convento, situated on a high hill overlooking the picturesque Arimao River Valley and the nearby Sierra de Escambray, 13 miles from the modern city of Cienfuegos. This was an important Arawakan Indian town with nine earth mounds, occupied from late prehistoric times until Spanish conquest and colonization in the sixteenth century. Historic documents identify this Indian town as Canarreo, which was granted to the famous priest Bartolomé de las Casas in 1514 for his service during the Spanish conquest of the island. The site is considered by many scholars as one of the most important in Cuba, especially for its connection with Las Casas, the “Protector of the Indians.” The program includes a full range of instruction in modern archaeological field methods, laboratory analysis, the archaeology of Cuba and the Caribbean, and Latin American culture. It is scheduled for ten weeks, from January 17 through March 25, 2005. Student and staff accommodations will be at the modern Hotel Pasacaballos at the entrance to Cienfuegos Bay on the Caribbean coast. Isn't it illegal to go to Cuba? The short answer is no. The University of Alabama research at Loma del Convento is conducted under the auspices of a Specific License from the U.S. Treasury Department that allows students and faculty to conduct educational programs in Cuba. Travel to and from Cuba will be on sanctioned charter flights run by major U.S. airlines. Student participants are issued academic visas by the Cuban Interests Section in Washington D.C., under the sponsorship of the Cuban Ministry of Culture. The only real restrictions have to do with the amount of money that can be spent in Cuba by U.S. travelers and the amount of goods that can be brought back. top What will I be doing? On a typical work day, breakfast will be served at the project hotel between 6:30 and 7:00 A.M. The project team will leave for the excavations at 7:15. Work at the site will continue until 2:00 P.M., with a morning break and lunch at the site. After arriving back at the hotel in the early afternoon, participants will have free time until 5:00 PM, followed by an hour and a half of lab work or lectures. Dinner at the hotel will begin at 7:00 P.M., followed by evening free time. Weekends will generally be free time, except for periodic day or overnight educational trips to destinations such as the colonial town of Trinidad, the capitol of Havana, Playa Giron (Bay of Pigs), and other regional archaeological sites. Tuition covers food and lodging for these weekend trips. top How should I prepare? Applicants are advised to learn as much as they can about Cuban society, culture, and politics before arriving in the country. For U.S. citizens, Cuba travel is regulated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U. S. Treasury Department. OFAC has published a useful guide leaflet concerning travel in Cuba, which is available on-line (http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/ eotffc/ofac/sanctions/t11cuba.pdf). Students selected to participate will also be required to read a short book entitled In Focus Cuba: A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture (ISBN: 1566562414), which gives many details and practical advice on travel in Cuba. Applicants should be aware that archaeological work in the tropics can be reasonably strenuous. Our work will be during the dry season, with sunny days and warm daytime temperatures generally reaching the upper 80s. Applicants should be in good physical health and free of chronic medical issues that might interfere with full participation. top
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