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I Volunteered for This?! Life on an Archaeological Dig
unhurt, she climbed back with renewed determination to master her job. These camp antics mold many warm friendships
as firmly as the mudbrick used for restoration.
At the end of the dig, after the parties and goodbyes, you feel compelled to climb once more that familiar hill and
look out upon vast stretches of sand at sunset. You can almost see Sennacherib’s army over the horizon, or a caravan of
camels coming along the trade route. A city once stood here bustling with activity. Abraham dug a well. Roman legions
marched where you stand. Perhaps you are surprised when a tear rolls down. You will miss this place, and these people, who may not speak the same language or share cultural customs or beliefs, but who can all dig. Somehow, this
unites us. As we share common experiences, food and dirt, we lessen gaps in man’s understanding of man and make
our small contribution to a long suffering nation.

From Nothing
One day there is absolutely nothing, just flat earth and dust. It is fantastic to see a real structure emerge
several days later.
Once I was away from the dig for several days sick. When I returned to the excavation site, I found that where
there had been a flat area of earth, there was now a set of steps, leading down to a hole. As the weeks went
on and work progressed, the “hole” became larger. Finally it became a “Mikvah,” a ceremonial bath, which
established the presence of a Jewish community in this area 1600 years ago. Sometimes the earth would be
gently moved away and small tiles or tesserae would appear and suddenly there is a mosaic floor.
—Freya Mechanic, a volunteer at the Meiron Excavations in Galilee, 1975.

© 2006 Biblical Archaeology Society

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