Hi! My name is Jordan Chapman, I am studying Anthropology and Geosciences at Penn State with a minor in Geography and this summer I’m spending a month in Akko, Israel on my first archaeological excavation. First, I would like to think everyone who helped in my efforts to get here, especially all the amazing people in the Student Support Services Program and the Multicultural Resource Center at Penn State. To Ms. Alicia, Ron, Ms. Devin, Mr. Moses Davis and so many other people, I wouldn’t be here without you.

            We’ve only been in Israel for about two days now. We spent most of the first day traveling to and from the airport. Most of the other Penn Staters and myself met up in Philadelphia where met up with the other schools participating on the dig like the Claremont Colleges on the West Coast, Trinity College, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. While some of us come from anthropological backgrounds, others study history, religion, and geography. In all there about 70 of us in total which is supposedly the largest group ever in the Tel Akko Project. Once we finally made it to the Nautical Academy in Akko we at dinner then some of us headed off to bed.

            Today we spent most of the morning in orientation and learning about the history of the Akko and the excavation site. After that some of our group headed to the beach while others headed into Old City Akko which is separated from the rest of the city by a large stone wall which was built several hundred years ago. The city of Akko itself has been around in some form since antiquity and has been under rule of some the major powers of the ancient world like the Egyptians and Phoenicians.

            The contemporary city is pretty modern, while walking around  I noticed several familiar stores and logos from back home in the States.  I took plenty of pictures of the Old City which is designated UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its long occupancy and the city’s famous stand against Napoleon. Everyone we talked to greeted us warmly and welcomed us into the city and I even checked out a Turkish Bazar with a few members of the group. And the view overlooking the bay and the Mediterranean was beautiful. There are still other parts of the city I haven’t had the chance to see yet like the old Crusader Tunnels which are underneath the Old City. However, our entire group we’ll be taking a trip there later this month so I’ll be sure to take even more pictures.

            Tomorrow we’ll be waking up early tomorrow morning to go to the excavation site just outside the city. In fact, we’re having our second lecture of the day introducing us to excavation methods and other things we need to know while digging. I’ve been looking forward to digging ever since we landed so I’ll be sure to go to bed early. I’ll be sure to update you guys tomorrow on my first excavation ever. Until then, see ya!

Location: Akko, Israel