Today we have a special guest post.
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Hello! I am Laryssa Shipley, a Baylor University student participating in the Harvard Summer School Program in Ashkelon, Israel. I joined this program to learn more about archaeology, and I can truthfully say I am acquiring more knowledge in the field in one week than I would have ever acquired in the classroom. The wealth of ancient history here completely astounds me- I would love to be a local and just go about my daily life with the ruins of Ashkelon's ramparts in the background. In a way, though, I feel like I've been here my whole life. It's hard to believe that just a few days ago, I didn't know what a patiche was or how to trace the floor of a courtyard. Already I have found dozens of pottery shards and several pieces of bone. Every day my connection with the people of the past grows stronger, and as I walk along Grid 51's ancient street, I feel my own pathway of life couldn't have led me in a more positive and enriching direction.
