Israel Experience participants enjoyed, "the rare opportunity to touch your roots." with an Archaeological Seminars Institute "Dig for a Day" program.
According to the ASI website, "The Dig for a Day program runs three hours. The activity includes: digging, sifting, pottery examination and touring the National Park of Beit Guvrin with an exciting crawl through unexcavated cave systems. Currently, Archaeological Seminars is digging at Tel Maresha, in the area of Beit Guvrin, ancestral home of King Herod. Vast underground labyrinths of man-made rooms are being systematically cleaned and give evidence of underground industrial complexes dating from the Hellenistic period. Remains of olive oil production, weaving installations, water cisterns and baths confirm a high level of material culture."
We did the dig in 2 of the excavation rooms - Ana and Ronen. Half of the group did the crawl through the unexcavated cave system while the other half went to see how olive oil is made inside a fully excavated cave.
Check out this quick slideshow of the ECE-RJ visit to the site.
