By Casey Sennett.
There are four things that I really hate: bugs, the sun, being outside, and doing manual labor. I know what you are thinking, why did you decide to go to a place with all four of those things? Aside from insanity, I do not think I can give you a reasonable answer. I came to Akko knowing that there was a high probability that I was not going to enjoy my time on the Tel because of the things I hate. I have had an interest in Archaeology since I was a kid and I wanted the opportunity to try it. I knew that my time at Tel Akko would allow me to decide whether I like Archaeology or not.
I did not expect to enjoy Archaeology as much as I have. Although I have always loved going to museums and looking at artifacts, there is nothing more satisfying than finding an interesting artifact or knowing someone that did. It has been amazing to see the mark that past peoples have made on the Tel and how my participation can help the memory of their culture and civilization survive. Although days at the Tel are long and tiring, it is rewarding to leave the Tel knowing that I did so. The pottery, bone, and shells we find can begin to blend together, but it is amazing to think about these artifacts being thousands of years old. These people are long gone, but you can sometimes see where their fingers were when creating a piece of pottery or you can see their handiwork on the remaining walls of buildings or on painted pieces of pottery. Other unexpected artifacts like small statues, bullet cases, and Egyptian scarabs are also interesting and leave you wondering exactly why or how they got to be on the Tel. It makes me also wonder about who brought them there.
Even though I am doing manual labor in the heat with bugs and dirt all around, I could not be happier. I thought that Archaeology would not be for me because of the dirt, sun, bugs, and manual labor, but they have had little effect on me. Maybe I never truly hated those things to begin with or maybe I finally found a reason to learn to accept and embrace them.
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