THE THINGS I LEARNED AT DOR: ONE LOCUS CLOSES AND ANOTHER LOCUS OPENS
Evan McDuff, 2018 Eric and Carol Meyers Excavation Fellowship Recipient
Here I am sampling phytoliths from one of the many phytolith layers uncovered below Monument B. Photo credit to Erin Brantmayer
This past summer, I had the opportunity to participate in an archeological excavation at Dor, Israel thanks to funding from ASOR and the generous Eric and Carol Meyers Excavation Fellowship. Tel Dor is situated on the Israeli coast halfway between Haifa and Caesarea. Unlike the sandy shores to the south, the area of Dor is characterized by rocky outcrops, which form some of Israel’s finest natural harbors. These harbors played a large role in the maritime trade of the Levant throughout the ages and had a large impact on human activity and culture at the site.
During this summer’s excavation we focused on the area designated as D1, located at the summit of the southern-most outcrop of the site. The main interest in D1 was a Hellenistic monumental complex dominated by two side-by-side temples. The two temples, designated Monument A to the south and Monument B to the north, were thought to be contemporary to each other. It appears, however, based on construction techniques that Monument B is slightly younger then Monument A. Both monument A and B were partially excavated in 2005 and 2006. Thus, our goals this season were to excavate around and within these temples in order to fully understand their chronological relationship to each other and the surrounding complexes of the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
With my task of recording elevations I became proficient in the use of both the total station and the dumpy level. Photo credit to Kathryn Elizabeth Spillman Joseph.
In my time at Dor, sandwiched between Monument A and Monument B, I came to learn many things both academic and personal. I learned practical skills needed for Hellenistic and Roman archaeology like the basics of pottery identification. I learned silly but useful facts, like how giving features names, like Ramona, Mortimer, and Genie, makes talking about stratigraphy much easier and far funnier. Silly things aside, I learned that during an excavation, adaptability is the key to success. Previous to the start of the Dor season I was poised, with my experience in zooarchaeology and archaeobotany, to act as the site’s Registrar of Organic Materials, though this position would never fully come to fruition. Early in the season it became apparent, with an utter lack of botanicals and an only slight scattering of animal bones, the position would be unnecessary. I remained on staff and took on the responsibilities of an Assistant Area Supervisor. Though I was disappointed that I would not be working in my area of specialization, my new position awarded me certain opportunities that I would otherwise have been without.
The sun sets on Tel Dor on the second to last day of excavation. Photo credit to Erin Brantmayer.
The crux of this tale is that people are going to give you jobs or tasks you do not necessarily want, especially on a dig. It behooves you to take these opportunities in stride and learn what you can. In my case, as a student aspiring to pursue academic archaeology it benefited me greatly to gain experience in managing excavation personnel and teaching students the practical and theoretical idiosyncrasies related to archaeological investigation. The Dor 2018 excavation season thoroughly exercised and developed these managerial skill sets, as much of my time was spent working with and managing students and volunteers. Likewise, I was responsible for teaching my charges proper excavation techniques, informing them about site history and stratigraphy, and answering their questions. In many ways I became a better teacher and a better excavator because of my experience at Dor.
Aside from my managerial tasks, I was assigned dominion over taking and keeping track of the daily elevations including all locus openings and closings. It doesn’t sound hard, but with the amount of architecture that we had, loci were opening and closing faster then one could say ‘I have found another wall.’ In tandem with being in charge of elevations it was my duty to assist in the creation of the daily and final top plans and to input elevations into these. This task was far outside my area of expertise and comfort zone, as it required a keen understanding of stratigraphy, phasing, and Photoshop, all of which I lacked. Eventually though, I came to grasp these concepts and in all learned a substantial amount about the practical execution of archaeology.
My summer at Dor was far from the way I imagined it would be, and honestly this is not a bad thing. Though I did not expect to be an Assistant Area Supervisor, the experience helped me developed a skill set I did not even know I needed or wanted to develop. I gained valuable experience in running an excavation and honed my skills as an excavator, archaeologist, and teacher. I learned if you roll with the punches and learn what you can from an experience you will, likely, come out better for it. All in all, the food was good, the archaeology was fascinating, and the people were beyond amazing. In the end I learned so much and I had an experience I am not soon going to forget.
For more information about the excavation at Tel Dor, please see the
Evan McDuff is currently a master’s student in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at Brandeis University. His research focuses on studying ancient Mediterranean food ways through the study of zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, literature, and art. His master’s thesis centers on the use of phytoliths in the study of Roman culinary spices and and the Roman-Indian trade of pepper.