Digging

The bell went off to get the day started at 4:15 am, but I was already awake. There are some who share our rooms who have set alarms to wake themselves up even earlier so they can, “get ready.” Makeup and showers are pretty futile pursuits, which they’ll learn pretty quickly.

Any extra few minutes you can get of sleep are precious.

I’m back in the field I worked in last time and it looks so different. Half of the squares were left at 2004 and 2006 levels, but everything else was dug down.

It was a beautiful day for digging. The sky was overcast for most of the morning and we were all a little stunned when we felt a rain drop or two hit our faces. It doesn’t rain in Jordan. At least, not at this time of year.

Today was just cleanup though, excavating and brushing off the material that’s been windblown and knocked into each square. On Monday, we’ll finish cleaning off the debris and start digging in earnest. I don’t expect anything terribly interesting to come out of my square – or the field in general – since its Iron Age time period doesn’t yield much beyond pottery, animal bone, and a smattering of stone tools.

Still…

It’s always nice to dig. Plus, I’m already starting to tan. There’s a distinct line where my wrist cover ended. Or, it could just be leftover dirt hanging around in my pores.