Last Thursday we had the opportunity to host a group of local Ashkelonian students, their teachers and parents as well as Parks Authority workers for a day of digging on The Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon. For many of us who participate in the excavation we are drawn by the exotic location, the opportunity to shift through thousands of years of history. For many of the local residents, we, the archaeologists and the students who pay to do this, are exotic, inexplicable beings who root around in the dirt picking up ancient trash.

And what wonderful trash it is as many of our visitors discovered.

In Cafe 51, Israeli students were paired up with volunteers who showed the newcomers the ropes. The students learned all about tool safety, how to use everything from a trowel to a big pick, and about the proper collection of ceramics and other materials.

In Grid 47, Community Day included some Fruit Break entertainment. For one day only, the fantastic duo of Josh and Alabama John performed "Tova has some Chickens" on the stage of the odeon to the delight of the massess watching from the cavea (seating area).

For an encore Josh and John were joined on stage by some of the Israeli students who then performed "Tova" in Hebrew!

All in all, it was a fun day which allowed us to get to know each other a little better.