the dig.

The dig ended up being really fun.

We got there at 7:30 and went right to work. I was in the big square, leveling the floor with another part of the floor. I didn't find anything interesting, but I did find a few small pieces of pottery and bone.

(half of the house)

At 12:30 we went back to the camp. We ate and showered, then rested for a few hours. Later in the afternoon, we put on our long sleeves and covered our heads, then drove five minutes to a cave. The man who owned the cave had a shop inside it. We looked around the shop while he served us tea. He gave each of the girls a bracelet to keep. When we left we each shook hands with him and he asked us our names. I told him mine, and he asked me a few questions in Arabic. Mimi answered, and he said something else. He was clearly confused, and Mimi was trying hard not to laugh. After we walked out, I asked why she was laughing so hard. Apparently my name, Katie, sounds like a brand of cheese and he thought that I was named after the cheese. That night I asked Mimi if there was a name for Katherine. She told me that it's Katerina, so next time I'll respond with that instead of Katie.

(two giant pots)

That night we went to an Arab house for dinner. The house we went to belonged to the man who ran the camp that we stayed in. Right inside the gate the men went part of the courtyard while the women went on into the house. We took our shoes off at the door and were led inside. We exchanged kisses on the cheek with the mother and two of her daughters, then went into the living room. We all took off our scarves, then they came in with tea.

(most of the dig)

We hung out and talked with them. They brought in dinner and it was delicious. I don't remember what it's called (even if I knew, I couldn't spell it) but it was delicious. It was lamb on top of rice, with almonds and sauce. We ate sitting on floor, using our right hand. After we finished eating we talked a little bit more, then walked home. That's the first time I was in an Arab house. It was new and different but it was so cool to get to meet those people.

The next day I worked in the same general place, leveling the floor and digging up to the wall. The girl that I was working next to found a jaw bone of a goat or sheep. For most of the morning I found hardly anything. Finally I found two RCs. An RC is a Radio Carbon. It's a special find, and they radio carbon date it to see how old it is. I found wood, and then some burnt wood. We were finding charcoal throughout the whole house, and the experts thought that there must have been a fire there sometime.

(the other half of the house we were excavating)

I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted. It was so dusty, and I didn't want to risk getting dust inside my lens. I did bring it out during one of the breaks and got a few pictures. The coolest thing ever: on the way home I was watching a movie on someone's iPod when the people in the front started pointing out the window. We ripped out our headphones and looked out the window. We were passing a pickup truck with a camel in the back. Yes, a full grown camel sitting in the back of a pickup truck. I didn't get a great picture as we passed, but I do have evidence. It was so cool.

(see the head?)