Archeology is dangerous

One of the main tasks of archaeology is the excavation of the earth. This work involves digging deep holes with pickaxes and other tools, so there is always danger involved. But what makes archaeology truly dangerous is that it is a discipline of discovery.

-Shuichi Hasegawa (Professor, Faculty of Letters, Rikkyo University)

DISCOVER - Nothing is more appropriate for archaeology than this word. Rather, this word describes archaeology itself. Archaeology is the study of discovery.

If you dig in the ruins of Israel, you will find traces in the soil left by people who lived there hundreds, thousands, and sometimes more than 10,000 years ago. The most common are pottery fragments. Many of the pottery shards may have been commonplace vessels used in everyday life by the people of that time, but to the modern archaeologist they are a treasure trove of information.

The shape of an earthenware vessel can indicate the type of use to which it was put, such as a pot, plate, or lamp. The shape also reveals the approximate period in which it was made. This gives us an idea of the period in which people lived at the site. The soil from which the pottery was made can tell us where it was collected, and if the pottery is decorated with patterns, we may even be able to identify the workshop where it was made. If we are lucky, we may even be able to tell what was put inside.

In other words, while the artifacts and remains found in the soil are the first discovery, the second discovery is made at the stage of extracting information from them. The third discovery is made when the information is synthesized to reconstruct a picture of the society of the time. Thus, it can be said that the excavation process itself is a series of new discoveries. But so far, however, it is not without commonality with other disciplines.

A research team from Japan has been excavating in Tel Rekhesh, located in Lower Galilee in Israel, since 2006. The site has yielded numerous discoveries so far, including one of the oldest synagogues in the region.

However, discoveries in archaeology are not limited to objects. Archaeology is a study of teamwork, and excavations can never be done alone. In addition to the Japanese team members, there are others in Israel who wait anxiously every year for the arrival of the Japanese team. In the intense heat of midsummer, we work together, sweating hard, and are delighted and saddened by the unexpected things that emerge one after another from the ground. After the work is done, we throw our exhausted bodies into a circle and drink together, and it is not so difficult to overcome the barriers of age and language. At the kibbutz where the Japanese corps is staying, a large supply of beer is stocked before the group arrives.

At the end of each year's research period, we reflect on the year's achievements, laughing, eating and drinking, and shedding a few tears as we bid farewell to each other. At the launch of the Tel Rekhesh excavations in 2019, everyone danced in a circle with the Arab workers teachig them.

In Israel, every time I do research, I meet new people and discover new friends. That's why I can't stop. Year after year, there is no end to the number of people who become completely fascinated by archaeology in this way. It is a problem, though, because it is not easy to find a job even if you become an archaeologist. Archaeology is such a dangerous discipline.

Shuichi Hasegawa

Faculty of Letters, Rikkyo University. He completed the graduate school at Tel Aviv University (Ph.D). He has been engaged in excavations at Tel Ein Gev and Tel Rekhesh in Israel since 1998. His major publications include "Biblical Archaeology" and "Mysteries of the Old Testament" (both published by Chukoh Shinsho), and "Mystery Solving Bible Stories" (published by Chikuma Prima Shinsho). For more information on his research at Tell Rekhesh, see rekhesh.com/jp.