![\"Setting](\"http:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/williamsinomrit\/files\/2013\/06\/DSCN2235.jpg\")
<\/a>Setting up shade on the first morning of the season<\/p><\/div>\n
The first week is the most difficult. Opening a new square involves a lot of exhausting preparation- we had to clear shrubbery, set up our tent, measure and string up the boundaries of our balks, and try to level out the depth of our square. New students also must absorb lots of information for the first time\u2014how to take elevations, draw top-plans of the squares, record and catalog archaeological data, and wash pottery\u2014all while recovering from jet lag and adjusting to our work schedule (ah, the cherished 4:30am wake-up knock on the door!). They are also experiencing for the first time the refreshing smell of the kibbutz cows, the chorus of peacocks in the morning at the site, and the swarms of gnats that fly straight for our ears. We all look like quite the fashionable group when we\u2019re out working at Omrit. Drastic steps (and brightly-colored bandanas) are sometimes necessary to protect ourselves from the sun and the bugs!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Sam O’Donnell ’15 modeling standard Omrit attire<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Those of us who are returning have missed these scents and sounds and bug bites\u2026 Okay maybe not so much. The gnats, though, will hopefully be only a temporary nuisance!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Elvira Miceli ’13 shooting an elevation for her square<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Our intense mornings are usually balanced out by relaxing afternoons, when students can catch up on much-needed sleep or cool off at the swimming pool. Eventually I will make a return trip to the kibbutz sculpture garden as well. Yesterday we were rewarded with falafel for lunch, and I have to admit that I\u2019ve been waiting eagerly for eleven months to eat that falafel again. It really is great to be back!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Welcome to our blog section for the 2013 season at Omrit! This summer we have six squares open for excavation at Omrit, and on the blog we\u2019ll be hearing from Williams students in each square about their experiences. I am … Continue reading