The Dig, day 1

Today was our first day of digging at Tel Rehov. We started the day at 4:30am so that we could beat the heat and get most of our work done in the “cool” of the morning (I wouldn’t call it cool but it’s better than the rest of the day). With little introduction we were shown to our excavation area to begin work. We were sectioned off in groups to excavate each room or space in the area, as there are several rooms in the building we are digging. We are digging in what is called a step-trench, steps dug down through the side of the tel to let us see each occupation that has been built on the tel throughout history. The deeper you go, generally, the older the layers are, so the highest step in the step-trench is most recent and the lowest is most ancient. As our group is split and assigned to different areas, some of us are digging remains from different centuries than others while we are still only spread through about a 25 meter radius (so we can all still talk to each other). All of what we are excavating is from the late bronze age, 13-1100BC, about 1000 years after Abraham.

The first order of operations for the dig was to clear off all the debris and “winter-wash” that has filled the excavation site while collecting any pottery we find along the way. After we finished that part it was already breakfast. After breakfast we were shown how to excavate and see bricks and foundations and such, then we were sent away to dig in our respective areas. We had to evenly clear away centimeters at a time over the whole area to see what is actually going on before clearing any deeper. So inch by inch we go deeper and deeper, collecting pottery shards and bone fragments along the way.

Among all the interesting things we discovered–the stone, the bone, and the pottery–the most monumental archaeological discovery that we each made was that digging is hard work. We were all exhausted by lunch time, when the actual excavating ends, but we are excited to do it at least 8 more times.

I should mention that our kibbutz, Nir David, is very nice. It includes air-conditioning, television, a mini-fridge, and a loft. We are staying, in general, four to a room which still leaves comfortable space. The cabins are dark wood resembling classic log-cabins. Within walking distance is a natural spring where we can cool off. Each meal is provided. It’s a nice place to come back to when you have worked hard all morning.