The Dig for a Day program at Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park is one of the most unique experiences in Israel: visitors participate in an actual archaeological excavation, digging through the fill of an unexcavated cave, sifting the dirt, and keeping whatever ancient pottery, coins, or artifacts they find. The experience is supervised by professional archaeologists and is available for visitors of all ages, from children to seniors.
The Experience
Participants receive tools (trowels, brushes, buckets, and sifting screens), a brief introduction to archaeological methods, and are assigned to an active excavation area within the cave system. The caves at Maresha are numerous enough that many remain unexcavated, and the Dig for a Day program focuses on these untouched caves. Visitors dig through layers of soil, sift the material through screens, and collect pottery shards, animal bones, stone tools, and occasionally coins or intact vessels. Everything found is catalogued by the supervising archaeologists, and visitors receive a certificate of participation.
What You Find
The most common finds are pottery shards from the Hellenistic period (3rd-1st century BCE), when Maresha was a thriving multicultural city. The shards include fragments of cooking pots, storage jars, oil lamps, and fine tableware, many of which are over 2,000 years old. Occasionally, participants find coins, complete oil lamps, carved figurines, or other significant artifacts. The thrill of pulling a 2,200-year-old object out of the ground with your own hands is real, and it connects visitors to archaeology in a way that no museum can.
Practical Information
The program runs daily (except Shabbat) and must be booked in advance. Sessions typically last 2-3 hours. Participants should wear closed-toe shoes and clothing they don’t mind getting dirty. The caves are cool even on hot days. The program is suitable for children aged 5 and up.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Dig for a Day is one of the best hands-on experiences in Israel. Hoshen Tours arranges the booking and combines it with a tour of the Beit Guvrin caves and the Ella Valley.