Olivier Boisvert is a junior, majoring in Classics with a minor in Italian Studies. Olivier first came to UMass undecided, ready to be led by his own curiosities. In his very first semester, he selected an archeology course to fill his schedule. He described an instant connection to the material, saying he thought that “this is the coolest thing ever.” This interest in archeology and his experience in learning Italian go hand in hand. He began his study of Italian in much the same way. He wanted to branch out of his Latin roots, which he had been taking since 6th grade, so he took a chance on Italian 110. As it turns out, his journey with Italian has intertwined seamlessly with his archeological interests.
As a unique intersection of his academic interests, Olivier spent this last summer in the Tuscan hills at an archeological dig site. The site is a part of The Poggio Civitate Archaeological Project, which is located in a small village outside of Siena called Murlo. The physical site dates back to the 8th-5th century BCE and was formally home to the ancient civilization of the Etruscans. He was first introduced to archeological work through one of his professors in the Classics department, Anthony Tuck, who Olivier approached after class to ask how he could get involved. Olivier was part of a group of archeological students from the US and Canada who were all learning about the hands-on aspect of the profession. In addition to the practical knowledge they gained in their five weeks in Murlo, they were also able to earn six credits through UMass.
While at the site, their weekly schedule for five days out of the week included waking at six o’clock in the morning, eating breakfast in their exceptional accommodations, and walking together to the dig site at 7am to begin their day. The work of the crew consisted of slowly and methodically digging, analyzing soil and artifacts that appeared, and learning the mechanics of an archaeological site. Olivier hopes to go back next summer and continue learning about the mechanics of running a trench. This trench, which is the specific area of the site that the archeologists are actually surveying, is usually a square shape that is around 2 meters by 2 meters. Archeologists work with great delicacy to attempt to dig in this square downwards to reveal what is beneath, layer by layer. The act of running a trench includes more responsibilities, which leads to more learning opportunities, and a chance to meet other professionals in the field. His weekends off were spent exploring the streets of San Gimignano or Siena, soaking in the amazing museums or taking historical tours. He gained appreciation for the architecture because “each building has its own story, even down to the person who placed the bricks.”
Olivier is passionate about the work that he did this summer, which is evident throughout our conversation. His journey with Italian only enhanced the experience. For him, learning the language represented an opportunity to connect with the current population, even when his focus was on the people of the past who lived in the same geographical area. He reminisced on his interactions with an Italian couple who, every summer, sit and watch the new cohort of students walking back towards the village. Olivier was able to try making conversation with this couple and learned more about language and culture through these interactions. The culmination of his confidence and Italian knowledge led to his nickname among the other members of the group: “the reservation guy,” since he was the one they could send to take care of things when Italian was needed. As he put it, “culture is baked into the language.” He urges anyone who is interested in studying classical civilizations, especially those in Italy, to show their respect to the modern people by learning their language. There is an importance on the present for the study of the past. Olivier has utilized his Italian language skills to pursue his professional ambitions in archeology, which is just one way that the Italian Studies program fosters growth for all its students.
If you are interested in learning more about The Poggio Civitate Archaeological Project, you can find out more through this link: https://www.poggiocivitate.com/