The dig ended with a flourish...two oil lamps in two days. After a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and final farewells, the team is on its way home. The adventure continues next summer starting 5 July.
It is not unusual for last minute finds to surprise a dig team. The end of week three was no exception. The "D (for Destruction) Team" was clearing a pavement to the south of the church complex, when the leader (Darryl Schmidt) call for the director. There on the pavement he had unearthed a bronze Roman (?) incense shovel. We were just five minutes from stopping for the day. Cameras worked overtime as we celebrated this spectacular find.
Of course, the interpretation of the find raises many questions . . . off to the library we go.
With the completion of the second week of excavation, we said good bye to our friends from Canada and to two other volunteers. Thus ended two hectic weeks of excavation. With teams deployed in five areas, we identified a second decumanus for the city, got to the very foundations of the atrium, explored facilities to the east of the church, and began probing what might be under the church complex. To the later questions, we can confidently say, bedrock. There is little evidence of pre-exisiting structures.
But before the departure of our friends, we spent three days in Jordan with a focus on Petra. What a time!
"Eventful" is an overused but accurate word for a week of excavation. Weeds, stones, and soil have yielded to a coin, a pendant, walls, a staircase, column drums, and other mysteries yet to be identified fully.
In all areas we are on or ahead of schedule. We will be opening two new squares (A2 and B5) in the next week.
The team is excellent . . . hard working and fun with new friendships fast forming. The returning veterans are the glue holding the project together, putting in many hours in the lab and well as providing leadership in the field.
For these good people and their good work, I am thankful.
At least four dead, dozens hurt in Jerusalem terror attack - Haaretz - Israel News
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/998294.html
Due to the terrorist attack, the trip to Jerusalem has been canceled. Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Feel free to sing along!
The following was received for consideration by the director of the Northeast Church Project at Hippos:
From These Hosers to Y'all
Whereas there are no less than 8 Canadians among those at the 2008 Hippos-Sussita dig;
And
Whereas July 1st is a mandatory and statutory holiday;
And
Whereas Canada Day celebrates such goodly and Christian things like: good government, good order, good beer and good hockey;
And
Whereas Canada Day celebrates the creation of the peaceful, true, north strong and free dominion of Canada, member of the British Commonwealth, by the Father's of Confederation, not with musket and bayonet, but with a case of Scotch and an act of British Parliament;
And
Whereas Canadians everywhere, under the authority of our sovereign Queen Elizabeth II, must submit to the laws of the Dominion;
And
Whereas the Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that Canada has been founded "By the rule of law and under the authority of God," marking it as a nation that serves the will of our creator and Lord;
And
Whereas this good assembly seeks only to serve the will of God;
And
Whereas the Americans among us will be free to celebrate their National Holiday with a day off in Jerusalem;
We the undersigned do humbly request leave for tomorrow in order to celebrate our nation's day, in the traditional manner: beer, lounging around, shopping, singing our national anthem and the most hallowed poking fun at our neighbors to the south.
Jenn Shack
Bill Hayes
Darren Siegle
Quinn
Michael J. Fox
William Shatner
Michael Myers
Jim Carrey
Tim Hurton
Celine Dion
The Concordia team continues its tradition of recovering interesting and stunningly beautiful finds. Team member Darryl Schmidt recovered this Byzantine glass pendant of a lion from the destruction fill in square D5. We are currently researching its significance. This is but one example of the excellent work being done by Concordia volunteers from Canada and the USA.
The first day on the dig is a day to get organized. With so many volunteers it seemed chaotic to me--pulling weeds, setting up screens, marking out squares, scrounging for tools. I am very thankful for veteran volunteers who help make the work possible and keep some order amidst the seeming chaos.
Still interesting things are happening. Ian discovered a coin. A wall seems to be emerging where we expected it in E8. And we are about ready to uncover the beautiful mosaic in B0.
Tomorrow we have the first full day of digging (and pottery washing). What will the site yield?
Today, Saturday, is an orientation and tour day. We will spend the morning up at Sussita, learning about the site and discussing the work that begins tomorrow.
From Sussita, we will then head north to visit several Christian sites: Kursi (commemorating the casting of the demons into the swine), Capernaum (home base of the ministry of Jesus), Heptapegon (commemorating the feeding of the five thousand), and then the modern site commemorating the Sermon on the Mount. Should time permit, we will also visit Tiberias, as we complete the circumnavigation of the lake.
These sites have spiritual importance for Christians, and they also give participants a glimpse of the Byzantine archaeology they will be uncovering.
