We are pleased to share this Call for Applications for The Heritage Laboratory – Belchite, Spain –Fieldwork training program, Summer 2026, announced by The Institute for Jewish Studies Barcelona (EJB) the Matanel Sefarad Seminar, and The Spanish Association of Military Archaeology. The application deadline is April 15, 2026.
Participants will take part in the excavation of what archaeologists say is a recently discovered medieval synagogue at a site that later became a famous battlefield during the Spanish Civil War, and will also engage in a training seminar on “Difficult Heritage,” critically examining issues of representation, ownership, ethics, and responsibility when working with painful or contested pasts.
The program is a two-week immersive study camp, open to students from all disciplines, along with educators, cultural heritage professionals, and social activists, that combines archaeological fieldwork and heritage studies specializing in “difficult heritage.”
The Heritage Laboratory will encourage and support participants in initiating and developing research, educational, and applied projects in the field.
Language of instruction: English.
Program Dates
The Belchite Fieldwork program is structured in three two-week cycles (up to 10 fellows each).
Cycle 1: June 15 – 27
Cycle 2: June 29 – July 11
Cycle 3: July 13 – 25
Participants may apply for one, several, or all cycles of the program.
The program fee is €500 for each cycle, which covers all lectures, excursions, accommodation, and materials.
(Travel to and from Belchite, as well as personal expenses, are not included in the program fee.)
Click here for full details and application form
Read our post in August 2025 about the Belchite synagogue discovery
The Belchite Heritage Laboratory is co-directed by Dr. Alfonso Fanjul Peraza (Asociación Española de Arqueología Militar) and Dr. Ze’ev Maor (The Institute of Jewish Studies, Barcelona – EJB) in cooperation with the Fundación Pueblo Viejo de Belchite – Belchite City Council, The European Institute of Education for Democratic Culture (ECUDEM) and the Research Group on citizenship Cultural Diversity & Education (CIDEC) of the catholic university of Valencia UCV, provides academic and research support for the program.
The Belchite Heritage Laboratory forms an integral part of the Matanel Sefarad Seminar – Jewish Studies Program of the EJB, supported by the Matanel Foundation.