The Work Continues

Most of us have been in Jordan less than week and in that time we have dealt with the flight over, jetlag, lost luggage, packing up our tools, moving to the dig site, underloading tools and equipment, settling in to our lodging, setting up the excavation, and cleaning up two years of debris on the site. Overall we are doing well. The weather has been for the most part wonderful, cooler than we expected and of course low humdity. Our lodging and food are great and the team is coming together with the task at hand. We have high hopes for the season ahead.

This is the Area B crew working on cleanup. From left to right, Mellissa VanZant, a teacher from Elizabethtown, KY; Adam Bean, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University; Josh Carter, an undergraduate student at Carson Newman College, and Amy Stickler a seminary student at Gardner Webb University.

Here Abu Hajar teaches a class in rock smashing and removal. Dr. Michael VanZant watches as a worker uses the mahata (sledgehammer) on a large piece of basalt.

Here Mike takes his turn with on the basalt while the "teacher" looks on.

Here Dr. Jerry Mattingly, Johnson University works with his son-in-law Adam Bean cleaning up in Area B.

After work in the field is over, the work is not over. The pottery uncovered during the excavation must be washed with a scrub brush to remove the debris of the centuries. Then it will be dried and "read". Here Ronaldo Denuna, Gardner Webb University and Thomas Wowros, Theologische Hochschule Friednensau wash some pottery.

Here you can see more of the team washing pottery in the foreground from left to right, Leslie Bean,Christiann DaSilva, and Melissa Hope.

After the pottery is washed and dried it is time to "read" the pottery. The ware, shape, form, and decoration can be "read" to determine the time period of manufacture of the pottery. This can be used to determine a date of the layer of soil which is being excavated. Here Dr. Michael VanZant, Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (left) and Dr. Donald Garner, Carson Newman College (right) sort the pottery by period while Thomas Wowros, Theologische Hochschule Friednensau looks on.

Here Dr. Daniel Hoffman, Lee University sorts pottery from the survey team.

Dr. James Pace, Elon University is a long time member of the team. He can not be with us this summer but he joined us via Skype for pottery reading. It was great having Jimmy "visit" us this way. Here he is hugging a captial at the museum in Amman.

John Wineland
Jordan