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Tuesday, July 4
Just a few days ago, we were all strangers trying to cling on to civil decorum. Now, more of these societal norms fall each day like soldiers before machine gun fire. Here are just some examples:
1. Should I walk down the shared hallway in my underwear? Now, it’s the only item of clothing that remains somewhat clean for me and everyone else.
2. Should I be concerned about the various bugs I shower with? Compared to the scorpions in the field, they are welcome conversation companions.
3. Should I be concerned about smelling power-fresh? One of the ladies mentioned that she never knew her body could generate such odors. Everyone had their own stories to share.
4. Should I be concerned about personal space? A 70 year old urgently stripped down before me, handed me a flashlight, and requested that I search his body to detect a recent bug bite.
5. Should I respect the opinions of those with higher degrees? On the first day, a self-proclaimed academic who’s never been in the field lectured us about the “right” way to transport rocks, while a quiet 20 year old farm boy from Idaho simply picked them up and tossed them on the pile. Now, everyone loves the farmboy and no one listens to the academic.
6. Should I respect traditional gender roles? I’ve seen commanding women lift equipment the size of furniture, while doting men patiently prepare the food. All stupid preconceived notions simply fall away.
What I’m witnessing is the glorious collapse of society. The only element that steadfastly remains is the need for the right person for the right job. Wouldn’t it be awesome if everything operated this way?
I wish I could show you a long list of interesting artifacts we’ve uncovered. However, the project started exactly like most digs do: without much discovered. The reason is because there’s been hundreds of years of debris built up on top of the archaeological layers. It's been about 1300 years since the city was abandoned. Literally, tons of mud, sand, and rocks must be removed first. Here's where I've been working the past three days.
You may ask: what are the instructions? Remove about 5 feet of material straight down. In Ohio, I was taught to use a precise hand trowel to gently peel away each layer of dainty mud. Here, the main tool is a brutal pickaxe. You strike each area until you hear a “chink.” Congratulations! You found a buried rock. It’s now your job to uncover it, then pry it from the gripping clutches of hundreds of years. Sometimes they are the size of basketballs. Other times, they grow to the size of an end table. Each one is a uniquely unpleasant experience. If you need another visual, imagine prying up the earth's wisdom teeth, roots and all.
We're excavating what we believe to be a house or a store. It may be a commercial space because it’s right on a main street and there is a lower storage area. We won’t know for sure until we find more stuff. I included the water bottle for scale.
I’d like to write more, but I need to attend a lecture entitled: An Introduction to the Decapolis. Jealous? I’m not sure what’s on the agenda for tomorrow. One thing I can be sure of: it will undoubtedly include many more rocks.
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