What to Read

Recently, I was asked by a friend who will be coming to Ashkelon for the first time what she should read before arriving.  

Well, besides reading Ashkelon I, II and III, I of course said James Michener's The Source.  At the look of dismay that appeared on her face, I assured her that EVERYONE reads it before coming to excavate in Israel.  (I have no idea if this is still true but it was when I first ventured to Israel.)  Bravely she asked if she could borrow my copy and off she went.  And that got me to thinking.  What else might I recommend as good reading material for someone coming to Ashkelon, Israel and/or archaeology for the first time.

I'm going to work on this and over the next few weeks I'll highlight both fiction and non-fiction choices to get you in the mood for a fabulous summer.

Contest Continues

Thank you to everyone who has entered to contest.  We have had some wonderful responses ranging from the practical and feasible to the nonsensical and highly imaginative.  It certainly makes from some great reading.

In this picture you can see Deland standing in the sewer channel.  Thanks to Deland's ingenuity he was able to survey a portion of the sewer and determine that it extends at least 10 meters to the east and west of the opening in which he stands.

 As you can see, the sewer is largely silted up but there is maybe a foot or two of space at the top that is not filled in and which gives us an opportunity to get inside safely with the right plan.

Maybe your plan will be the one we put into action.

Grid 47, I expect you to have some good ideas. 

The contest continues until March 31.  The winner will be announced May 1st. 

Have you read the most recent New York Times article on Ashkelon?  Read about it here.  The article is about a collaboration between the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon and the Weizmann Institute and the emerging field of microarchaeology.

It's Not All Sewage

The lure of built space under ground, especially when it is intact, is very powerful.  During the 2011 field season in Grid 47, the sewer we discovered wasn't the only subterranean architecture we uncovered. 

The first hint we had of this other architecture came during the 2010 when we found a smooth, plastered object on top of a foundation of cobble size stones which we suspected, but had no way of proving, was a cistern.  As is the case with all such intriguing objects, this one was stuck in the baulk.

You can see the architecture in question, along the dirt bualk on the right side of the picture, just to the right of the red block.

We decided to expand the grid prior to the 2011 season and this included the area to the east of the suspected plastered cistern.

That expansion meant we had to say good bye to our lovely winter garden but doing so would allow us to, we hoped, catch the eastern edge of the odeon.

What we found was very interesting.

It looked like this.

And then, when it was all cleaned up, it looked like this. 

Readers of the blog and diggers in Grid 47 will remember exactly what it is.  Everyone else will have to wait a little longer to learn what it is, what happened to it and how we have been excavating it.

Stay tuned for more...

I will say that much like the sewer, this object had volunteers clamoring to get inside.

"Because It's Cool!" I Want to Excavate the Sewer Contest

Unexcavated but not forgotten, the sewer in Grid 47 stands ready for exploration.  If only we had a good reason to go in and a safe way to investigate this truly remarkable discovery.

My argument for why we should excavate the Roman period sewer discovered during the 2011 season -- "Because it's cool!" -- didn't persuade anyone to let us dig it but yours might.

This is your chance to win an ice coffee, or non-alcoholic beverage of your choice, from the Dan Gardens Hotel as well as fame and glory in our informal "Because It's Cool!" I Want to Excavate the Sewer Contest.

It's simple really.  In 1000 words or less describe how we can explore the sewer without putting a person inside.  Your proposal should include why you think the sewer is worth exploring, your plan, the equipment and/or technology required to implement it and the approximate cost of your plan.  The lucky winner may, just may, see their plan put into action.

Mail your plan to tracy@digashkelon.com.

Entries are due by March 31st and the winner will be announced on May 1st. 

Be creative!  Be inspired!  And find me a way to get into the sewer!  I'm ready to see where it goes!

Interesting Read

In case you didn't see it, check out this article about the threats to Leptis Magna in Libya.  Emperor Septimius Severus was born in Leptis Magna and devoted great resources to the embellishment of the city until it rivalled Carthage and Alexandria.  Or that was the plan.  

During the reign of Septimius Severus, the ancient city of Ashkelon also underwent signficant architectural embellishment.  It is believed the odeon we are currently excavating was built during his reign.

Now, to the picture.  The picture I posted an eon and a day ago is of some of the destroyed medieval fortifications in the vicinity of the Jerusalem Gate.  This is the area where the team from Hebrew University worked during the 2011 field season.