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I Volunteered for This?! Life on an Archaeological Dig
way of the most important kind of learning—the actual “doing” of archaeology.

What will be the total size of the dig camp?
There is no magic size, but there are differences between the atmosphere and conditions on a large project and those in a small camp. The
larger the group, the more opportunity to meet like-minded friends, but
also the more fragmented the total group becomes. For shy or unaggressive people a big camp can be a lonely place. In a very small group there
may be excellent opportunities to work closely with established experts
and scholars, and to learn a great deal. On the other hand, a summer of
living and working together in cramped and tiring conditions with the
wrong handful of people can drive you mad!

Patti O’Connor
Volunteers measure and record each find. While
she records, he, takes a plumb line to establish
true vertical and measures the exact distance
from the nearest side wall and the exact depth,
in relation to fixed altitude measurements by the
surveyor. The co-ordinates of the find locate it
precisely within the square. The strings outline
the walls, or balks, of the square excavation area.
The unexcavated balks provide a walking area
and a permanent vertical reference as the layers
are dug out from within the square.

Some of these questions may be more important to you than others.
Most of them may be answered in the information you will receive when
you ask for application materials. All of these questions are legitimate,
however, and if they are not answered in a project’s advance literature, you
should not hesitate to ask for more information. The better informed you
are beforehand, the more likely you are to have a happy experience—and
to contribute to a successful season for those you work with.

Prepare yourself—physically, intellectually …
Whatever the character or quality of the project you may join, you can help
make the experience a successful one by preparing yourself physically,
intellectually and psychologically.
Even if you are in good condition, you probably are not using some
muscles as much as you will as part of an excavation team. Unless you
can spend the weeks just before the dig season in full-time gardening or
ditch-digging, devote some time daily to deep knee bends, pushups and
lifting a heavy object from the floor to a position above your head. Try to
get a start on your tan. Walk a lot, and use the opportunity to toughen your
feet to the boots or work shoes you plan to wear on the dig. After all this,
on the first days of excavation wear work gloves or use adhesive tape to
protect the insides of your thumbs and palms from small-tool blisters, and
give special protection against sunburn to the back of your neck and legs
and the small of your back.
Read what you can in advance about the culture, history and archaeology of the area in which you will be working. If your project leaders do
not provide a reading list, ask for suggestions or consult libraries. For persons anticipating their first season on a dig in Israel the following
resources might be suggested:
Oxford Bible Atlas, edited by Herbert G. May (London & N.Y.: Oxford
University Press, Second Edition 1974), a compact and inexpensive
paper-bound introduction to the Biblical lands, history and topography
with a special section summarizing archaeological work in the region.

Patti O’Connor
Lahav camp staff moving photo tower.
For full caption, see first photograph.

The Bible and Recent Archaeology, by Kathleen Kenyon (Atlanta:
John Knox Press, 1978), an up-to-date survey of archaeological results
relevant to Biblical history from the Patriarchs to the New Testament,
completed just prior to Dame Kenyon’s death last summer.

© 2006 Biblical Archaeology Society

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