As we start week three in Israel and Gaza enters their 8th day of conflict. If things escalate any further it is possible that our excavation will be forced to close and we will return home earlier than expected. Earlier today I heard that Egypt had issued a ceasefire to which Israel had accepted but Gaza refused. This morning we also saw a fighter jet and we also received news that a Haifa, which sits directly across the bay from us, had a siren scare. This is the second time I know of that Haifa was fired at. Due to the conflict the Tel Akko Archaeology Program is one of a small number of excavations still going on in Israel at this moment. We have been told that we should be safe but we have gone over the procedure just in case we hear sirens. All of us are now paying close attention to any news we can find about what’s going on in the south. Some members of our staff are in contact with people who are also keeping a close eye on the situation so we are very well informed.
In other news, for the last two weeks I have been part of the survey team, which checks some of the surrounding areas of the mean excavation area for possible artifacts and ancient features. A few days ago one of us found a small group of stones at the bottom of a hill, now other team members and I are finding more of the stones along a flat area and we now think it might be an ancient road. It has also been suggested that part of the hill may actually be covering a Persian Period gate. While we haven’t uncovered the gate yet, a lot of our staff are excited about our possible find as it could help explain why a large portion of our mound. Originally it was thought the British may have been responsible for taking out a large portion of the site but if the gate is there it would change the perceived chronology of the site. It’ll be interesting to see if there is actually a gate under there but it could be a while before a full excavation takes place there.
Plus, doing survey is a good workout. We’re constantly moving around and each day we have to walk up and down a hill while hauling tool and buckets of pottery. Some of us have even started to call the survey team the “Survey Corp.” because of the extra digging. Instead of digging in one place we dig a bunch of sample holes and once we finish we move on to the next one. Though sometimes we may be selected to use a machine to record GPS coordinates which can take all day and you don’t dig any holes, but each person only does that about once a week. While survey is actually kind of fun since we get to explore some of the site a little more, it can be annoying with all the weeds and thorns scattered around. Plus their all sorts of wildlife, bees are a constant problem because they like to land inside your holes. One day last week a walked away from my hole for a few seconds and when I came back about five bees were walking around inside. We also see a lot of legless lizards, spiders and beetles. Yesterday someone saw a scorpion and today I found a dead snake. However, the worst apart about survey are the plants because their thorns stick you in the leg as you walk through the field and no matter how lightly you step they still get you.
Well, that’s if for now. I’ll try to post more often as the week goes on especially since we could be cancelled. While there have been a lot of unfortunate events over the last few days I’m still glad I came to Israel. This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life and I hope things work out. So until next time!
Location: Acre, Israel