The first days of the dig
As produced by our friends at Kibbutz Ein Gev…
2012
The Dig Begins
The first day on a dig is a bit chaotic . . . getting tools, setting up screens, training, organizing squares, and clearing the “junk” from the surface. Our work as begun. Watch in the days ahead for our first discoveries, or follow the volunteer blogs at http://virtualdig.org.
Site seeing
As a reward for their hard work, Laura, Erin, and Jackie traveled with Dr. Schuler to ancient Bet Shean, Caesarea Maritima, and finally to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. Archaeology, the ocean, and the mystery of the incarnation . . . all in one day.
Preparing the site
Over the last two days, Laura, Erin, and Jackie have assisted Dr. Schuler in preparing the dig site for the arrival of the team on Friday. Excavation areas have been cleared of rubble, new squares have been laid out on the surface, preliminary drawings and measurements have been made, and wifi connections to the database in St. Paul have been confirmed from the field. (This year data will be entered by iPads directly to the server at Concordia.) Excavation begins on Sunday.
Scholarly discussion
A two-day conference about the archaeology of the Galilee was a helpful prep for the upcoming dig. It is easy when doing archaeology to think primarily of one’s site. Better is to study a site in view of regional trends, and to recognize the wide diversity of responses to those trends among specific sites. Omrit, Tel Anafa, Tel Kedesh, Scythopolis, and regional surveys help fill in the blanks. Now it is time to get into the field.
