By June Weber

The Garea Part 1…Maybe

By June Weber…Welcome to MM2 better known as the Garea. A previously unexcavated square, we started to dig total archaeology style this 2016 season. We have recently dug ourselves out of “the Danger Zone” which was the disturbed territory and into the Early Hellenistic Period which is stratum A-3. Out of our exciting finds we have found a scarab beetle from Iron II period and our little shell floor which we like to call “Shelly Ann.”

In this non-Dothan square, which to some extent has not been dug with backhoes, we are hoping to reach a Persian strata by the end of this season. Under the guidance of our fearless leader we have been moving at a steady pace, despite the constant dirt sifting that has been undertaken, which of course is a necessary part of an archaeologists repertoire. I have recently betrayed the motherland by venturing into the surveyor’s territory, which I am sure someone else will blog about (no promises though.) However, the prodigal daughter has returned to her homeland, and thus has continued  in the excavation of the best square, with the best Mediterranean breeze of course. We will continue our excavation and venture into the unknown underneath us, hoping to one day publish Dothan’s previous work along with the work done by Killebrew and Artzy.