Today, a brief word about a new excavation project this summer. We are lucky to have Denys Pringle joining us this season to conduct an excavation of the fortification system. The Snake Tower in point of fact. For six weeks he and Hannah Buckingham will lead a team of volunteers in a project that promises to shed light on the construction, organization and chronology of ancient Ashkelon's fortifications. This work will build significantly on Pringle's exhaustive survey of the fortifications. I, for one, am eager to see what they come up with.
Remains of one of the medieval towers
Preparations are well under way as we move closer to the start of the season. The first staff members head over in a week. Many of the specialists follow soon after and then it will be only a week or so before the remainder of the team arrives and we get to work. Josh Walton, grid supervisor and the current Lab Director, tells me the summer is already a scorcher so get ready. It promises to be a hot one.