Digging Archaeology

I received my college degree in English, but sometimes I wish I had majored in archaeology because as a child I was always interested in really old stuff like the pyramids in Egypt. Later, I became even more interested in Near Eastern archaeology when I started reading magazines like Biblical Archaeology Review. Through these magazines I learned about local lectures I could attend. At one of these lectures I met a man who had been digging with the Madaba Plains Project in Jordan. He made it sound so fascinating. He told me that I would be welcome as a volunteer there. So I went!

My experiences on the dig at Tell Jalul (an Iron Age site) and staying at the camp in Amman were some of the best of my life. I learned a great deal about archaeology and  its processes by digging each morning, and then washing and examining pottery each afternoon. We discovered walls, pavement and lots of broken pottery. One man found a horse statue in our field (that was really exciting). Through these finds, I was able to imagine what village and rural life must have been like in Jordan 2000-3000 years ago. I also learned about life in modern Jordan because we got to eat at restaurants and go shopping in the suqs (markets) on the weekends. I made friends from all over the world because our camp included volunteers and archaeology students from the US, Canada, Peru, Japan, Russia, Kenya, Croatia and more.

I was 39 years old with no experience when I went on the dig in 1996. That didn't matter. People of all ages and experience levels can fit in at a dig. There are lots of different jobs to be done, so if you get too sore bending down to dig in the dirt, you can stand up and operate the sifters instead. Pottery washing is done by young and old alike and it is a great time to sit and socialize with everyone. I guess the only requirement would be that you can't be afraid to get dirty. You will get dirty! It is fun to look in the mirror after a hard day at the dig and see just how dirty your face can get. Dust gets everywhere, even in your ears and nose.

Archaeology is fun, interesting and challenging. I hope I will be fortunate enough to go on a dig again soon. I hope I am still digging when I'm 80 years old!

Photos courtesy Kim Rolling and Madaba Plains Project