Introduction

I am an American professor of archaeology (John Cabot University) who has the great fontune of living and teaching in Rome, Italy. I visited Romania for the first time in September 2003 at the invitation of friend/colleague, Alexandru Matei. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the possibility of a joint Romanian-American archaeological project at the site of Porolissum. With the exception of 2005, I have returned each summer to co-direct the Porolissum Forum Project (http://www.porolissum.org/).

The Project is quite amazing and interesting, but in addition to the important archaeological work we are doing, I keep returning because Romania (and in particular Transylvania) is a magical place. Each summer I bring about 15 western students who learn about Romanian culture from an insider's perspective. They learn archaeology, but they also learn about the history of the country, especially Romania today. They return to their homes enlightened and with very important and enduring friendships with each other and many people from Zalau and Moigrad.

Romania is one of the world's best kept secrets - I cannot stop telling everyone I encounter that they have to visit. The people and the land, the food and the music, the traditions...everything is so "real", so "natural". Romania is certainly not without its problems, but it is one of the most special places on the planet.

These are a few introductory photos......