בס"ד
We were invited to experience the "dig for a day" program by the archeological seminars in Tel Maresha, Beit Guvrin national park.
After signing up for a specif day, be sure to come ready with comfy clothes. Make sure to wear clothes you don't mind dirtying because you're going to get dirty, big time! Also, you need to come with closed-toe shoes and bring water.
When the day comes, you arrive with your vehicle to the meeting point - Bet Govrin gas station. There you'll meet the guides, and you'll be assigned with your own guide. Before continuing to the next point, you'll be advised to purchase water if you haven't brought any and go to the restrooms. On the site itself, there are no restrooms, and the nearest bathroom is in a 10-minute walking distance.
From there you'll drive in a car convoy straight to parking lot B. The admittance to the national park costs money as well. So you'll have to pay first before entering the park. If you have a subscription to the Nature and Parks Authority, that's the time to use it.
The drive to parking lot B is quite a fun experience itself. We stopped at the parking lot and divided into groups, each group to the guide we were assigned to earlier. There are guided tours in Hebrew or English.
We went to the English tour with Dave and Pnina being our guides. They were super friendly and highly informative.
After a fun, easy explanation about the area under the shades of the trees, we went down a dirt path to the excavation cave. To enter the cave, you go down stone stairs that have ropes on each side for better gripping.
While sitting on the stone parts of the cave, we heard from Dave that this place is an active and authentic digging site. Which means that everything you find is genuine antiquities from the yore, and each finding goes through diagnostics and cataloging.
Over the past 40 years, a vast of underground man-made rooms were uncovered, and they are dating back to the Hellenistic (Greek) period with Herods of 2,200 years ago!
The site is considered a UNESCO world heritage. And there were remnants of olive oil production, weaving facilities, and more. Those remains teach us that the people who used to live here were wealthy.
At first, I couldn't find anything but limestone, but once I was told to dig deeper, I started finding things. We found lots of pottery parts, charcoal, and animal bones that have probably been used as food.
After filling the buckets with dirt we thought is probably nothing, we take the buckets outside the cave and sift it. The sifting allows us to make sure we didn't miss any important finding.
Most of the activities are inside the chilly caves or under a shed, excluding the times you need to walk from one complex to the other and sifting the dirt.
At the end of the dig, you fill each hole with the sand from the cave, to allow safe and secure exiting without tripping.
Because it was a hot day, we only sifted our buckets once and then went straight to the crawling cave.
The crawling cave is a cave that wasn't excavated. It doesn't suit people with limitations or other phobias, such as claustrophobia or fear of the dark.
Since I don't like narrow dark places, I waited while my family went to experience how it is like being Indiana Jones minus the booby traps of course.
The crawling cave is lit with candles (and if you're really afraid you can turn on the flashlight app on your phone). You can go straight or slightly bent on most parts of the cave, except around five places where you really need to crawl your way out. It is a fun experience for everyone that takes approximately 15-20 minutes.
After exploring the crawling cave, we went down to the pottery shed where we heard about the people who lived back then in Maresha. Those people were rich traders that made a living from olive oil. They had a superpower thanks to the olives whether it was used for food, lighting house, medicine, etc.
We also heard of various discoveries that were found here, such as a jug that was dug entirely. When they smashed it, they found ancient silver coins of Antiochus the ninth. They also found golden earrings, a marriage certificate in Aramic (resembles a Ktuba), over 1,020 seals and more.
At the end of the activity, you get a certificate of participation in the "dog for a day" program. And because there are ceramic parts that were dug and couldn't be restored, you get the chance to take some home as much as you want.
Dave shared an idea of creating a Menorah for Chanukah, so you'll have a Menorah from the ancient days :-)
The activity is suitable for kids and adults alike, and even for those who have a slight disability can enjoy most of the activities.
The guides were very much and helpful, and if someone struggled with the walk, they offered help in every way possible. The site is open year-round, except for extreme weather. Highly recommended!
Dig For A Day
Opening hours: Sun-Thu: 9:00AM-5:00PM (last group leaves at: 2:30PM), Fri: 9:00AM-2:30PM (last group leaves at: 12:00PM).
Duration of Activity: Two to three hours.
Price: children (5-14) - 25$, Adults (15+) - 30$ (not included admission to the park), advance registration required
For more details: 03-9150080 or https://www.digforaday.com
Wear closed shoes, hats, comfortable clothing you don't mind dirtying, and drinking water.
Most of the activity happens in cool areas inside the caves or shaded areas.
The activity is suitable for people with mild physical disabilities, except for the entrance to the unexplored cave.
Not recently we embarked on a new and unique adventure right here in Israel. From digging archeological findings to exploring a dark cave lit by candlelight and more.
We were invited to experience the "dig for a day" program by the archeological seminars in Tel Maresha, Beit Guvrin national park.
After signing up for a specif day, be sure to come ready with comfy clothes. Make sure to wear clothes you don't mind dirtying because you're going to get dirty, big time! Also, you need to come with closed-toe shoes and bring water.
When the day comes, you arrive with your vehicle to the meeting point - Bet Govrin gas station. There you'll meet the guides, and you'll be assigned with your own guide. Before continuing to the next point, you'll be advised to purchase water if you haven't brought any and go to the restrooms. On the site itself, there are no restrooms, and the nearest bathroom is in a 10-minute walking distance.
From there you'll drive in a car convoy straight to parking lot B. The admittance to the national park costs money as well. So you'll have to pay first before entering the park. If you have a subscription to the Nature and Parks Authority, that's the time to use it.
The drive to parking lot B is quite a fun experience itself. We stopped at the parking lot and divided into groups, each group to the guide we were assigned to earlier. There are guided tours in Hebrew or English.
We went to the English tour with Dave and Pnina being our guides. They were super friendly and highly informative.
After a fun, easy explanation about the area under the shades of the trees, we went down a dirt path to the excavation cave. To enter the cave, you go down stone stairs that have ropes on each side for better gripping.
While sitting on the stone parts of the cave, we heard from Dave that this place is an active and authentic digging site. Which means that everything you find is genuine antiquities from the yore, and each finding goes through diagnostics and cataloging.
Over the past 40 years, a vast of underground man-made rooms were uncovered, and they are dating back to the Hellenistic (Greek) period with Herods of 2,200 years ago!
The site is considered a UNESCO world heritage. And there were remnants of olive oil production, weaving facilities, and more. Those remains teach us that the people who used to live here were wealthy.
We got an explanation on how to dig correctly and how to tell whether something is just a plain limestone or a real finding that should be kept aside and off we went.
With two black buckets and a pickaxe, we started to dig.
With two black buckets and a pickaxe, we started to dig.
At first, I couldn't find anything but limestone, but once I was told to dig deeper, I started finding things. We found lots of pottery parts, charcoal, and animal bones that have probably been used as food.
After filling the buckets with dirt we thought is probably nothing, we take the buckets outside the cave and sift it. The sifting allows us to make sure we didn't miss any important finding.
Most of the activities are inside the chilly caves or under a shed, excluding the times you need to walk from one complex to the other and sifting the dirt.
At the end of the dig, you fill each hole with the sand from the cave, to allow safe and secure exiting without tripping.
Because it was a hot day, we only sifted our buckets once and then went straight to the crawling cave.
 |
| Unexplored cave: right: with flash, left: without flash |
The crawling cave is a cave that wasn't excavated. It doesn't suit people with limitations or other phobias, such as claustrophobia or fear of the dark.
Since I don't like narrow dark places, I waited while my family went to experience how it is like being Indiana Jones minus the booby traps of course.
The crawling cave is lit with candles (and if you're really afraid you can turn on the flashlight app on your phone). You can go straight or slightly bent on most parts of the cave, except around five places where you really need to crawl your way out. It is a fun experience for everyone that takes approximately 15-20 minutes.
After exploring the crawling cave, we went down to the pottery shed where we heard about the people who lived back then in Maresha. Those people were rich traders that made a living from olive oil. They had a superpower thanks to the olives whether it was used for food, lighting house, medicine, etc.
We also heard of various discoveries that were found here, such as a jug that was dug entirely. When they smashed it, they found ancient silver coins of Antiochus the ninth. They also found golden earrings, a marriage certificate in Aramic (resembles a Ktuba), over 1,020 seals and more.
At the end of the activity, you get a certificate of participation in the "dog for a day" program. And because there are ceramic parts that were dug and couldn't be restored, you get the chance to take some home as much as you want.
Dave shared an idea of creating a Menorah for Chanukah, so you'll have a Menorah from the ancient days :-)
The activity is suitable for kids and adults alike, and even for those who have a slight disability can enjoy most of the activities.
The guides were very much and helpful, and if someone struggled with the walk, they offered help in every way possible. The site is open year-round, except for extreme weather. Highly recommended!
Dig For A Day
Opening hours: Sun-Thu: 9:00AM-5:00PM (last group leaves at: 2:30PM), Fri: 9:00AM-2:30PM (last group leaves at: 12:00PM).
Duration of Activity: Two to three hours.
Price: children (5-14) - 25$, Adults (15+) - 30$ (not included admission to the park), advance registration required
For more details: 03-9150080 or https://www.digforaday.com
Wear closed shoes, hats, comfortable clothing you don't mind dirtying, and drinking water.
Most of the activity happens in cool areas inside the caves or shaded areas.
The activity is suitable for people with mild physical disabilities, except for the entrance to the unexplored cave.
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