Information for Prospective Volunteers
Summer 2002 Tel Kedesh Excavations
The next two seasons of excavation will focus on determining the nature of the site during the Hellenistic and Persian periods of occupation.
Sunday, June 2, 2002 through Friday, July 12, 2002.
You will need to arrive at the guest houses by Friday, May 31, 2002 because lack of bus service from Friday evening to Sunday morning precludes on-time arrival otherwise.
Volunteers will live in the guest houses of Miriam and Itzhak Avitan at Moshav Ramot Naftali, a lovely spot in the hills of the Upper Galilee, about 3 km from the site.
The weather in summer is generally quite pleasant; consistently warm and sunny (around 80 degrees) and fairly arid (no rain, low humidity). Occasionally, however, it is overly hot or quite windy; less often it can get a bit cool in the evenings. You should bring a sweatshirt for early mornings on site (its pretty chilly until the sun comes up).
Volunteers are responsible for arranging their own transportation to the site. It is best to fly into Ben-Gurion Airport at Tel Aviv. Upon arriving in Tel Aviv, board a bus at the New Central Bus Station going to Kiryat Shmona (signs will be posted or ask at an information counter; clerks usually speak some English). In Kiryat Shmona, a taxi will take you to Moshav Ramot Naftali. You may take a taxi for the entire trip from Tel Aviv to Ramot Naftali, although this will be considerably more expensive. Alternatively, if you are traveling with a group, you may find it cheaper to take a sherut (shared taxi which holds up to 7 passengers) the entire length of the journey. Money can be exchanged upon arrival in Israel. The bank is located in the luggage claim area of the airport and is open 24 hours a day.
(Your name)
Archaeological Project
Moshav Ramot Naftali 17
Upper Galilee 13830 ISRAEL
4:45 volunteers are responsible for getting themselves up and ready; a light breakfast of
bread and peanut butter or fruit will likely make the early morning work much easier5:00 first van departs for the site
5:15 second van departs for the site
5:15/5:30 work begins upon arrival at the site
9:00 picnic breakfast on site; cheese, fruit, cucumbers, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, bread, coffee, milk, juice
12:00 work ends on site
12:30 pottery washing at Ramot Naftali
2:00 hot lunch at the guest house
4:00 pottery analysis by staff; volunteers may assist, though this is not mandatory
7:00 dairy dinner
Volunteers are expected to be awake, dressed, packed and ready to leave when the buses depart for the site in the morning. As the buses will depart beginning around 5:00 in the morning, this will not be an easy task unless you get enough rest. A suggested bedtime during the work week is around 9 or 10 in the evening, possibly earlier or later depending on individual sleep needs. In addition to work on-site, volunteers will also be expected to help in washing the day's pottery. This is sometimes a tedious task, but when everyone pitches in it goes much more quickly and can actually be (gasp!) fun. After this, volunteers may choose to help with pottery or bone analysis, conservation or have free time. There will be a 5.5 day work week, with 1.5 days off. During the time off, volunteers may stay at the guest house where meals will continue to be served, or travel on their own. Field trips may be arranged from time to time for interested volunteers.
You may receive three (3) undergraduate or graduate credits through the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Minnesota. Please contact Andrea Berlin at the University of Minnesota for more information.
Professor Andrea Berlin
Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies
University of Minnesota
330 Folwell Hall
Minneapolis, MN 55455
aberlin@tc.umn.eduProfessor Sharon Herbert
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
University of Michigan
434 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1390
sherbert@umich.edu