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I Volunteered for This?! Life on an Archaeological Dig

Filip Vukosavovicé
Hazor

Filip Vukosavovicé, now a graduate student at the Hebrew
University, was a volunteer at Hazor in 2003. His write-up of his
experiences arrived too late to be included in last year’s dig
issue, but we wanted to share it with our readers.

The summer of 2003 was my third season at Hazor and the second time that I was there for the full six-week season.
Many wonder what is so exciting about waking up every morning at 4 a.m., working until 1 p.m. under the scorching
sun, then washing pottery (the worst job of all), reading it and then attending all kinds of lectures … for six weeks. Yet
it’s one of the best things I have ever done in my life. It is challenging and exciting, it makes you use your intellect, and
you never know if you are going to meet the love of your life (as some did). I left Hazor after six weeks tired in my body
but stronger and richer both mentally and physically. I know I have accomplished something great.
I worked in area A4, which is loaded with all kinds of exciting stuff. Among them are dozens of occupation layers
from Iron Age Israelite settlements, each of which had to be carefully unearthed, registered, drawn and photographed.
In addition, special objects and finds from the same period required special treatment. For example, Stef, a girl from
Bulgaria, was a taboon (an ancient oven) specialist. Every time we would find a taboon she would be assigned to work
on it. There was also a Late Bronze Age area that has yielded one of the most beautiful palaces ever excavated in Israel
© 2006 Biblical Archaeology Society

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