“Screams of Pure Joy”: A First-Hand Account of the Dor Prize Find

I supervised the area at Tel Dor where the scapula was found. More than a year later, I can still feel the thrill of that moment. The hard physical labor, the intensive report-writing, the early rising hours—all seemed trivial in the wake of finding the scapula.

I first came to Tel Dor in 1992 as a volunteer. I hoped that a season here would put to rest my dream of working on an archaeological dig. Instead, my dream turned into an irreversible passion when, on the last day of the dig, we uncovered a complete skeleton, fondly christened “Dorine.”^c Dorine reminded me that the earth has many stories to tell. I was compelled to return again and again to pull these tales from the dry, dusty earth.

In 1993, I supervised 12 volunteers in four “squares,” the 5×5 meter units of excavation. Each night my area supervisor, Robyn Talman, and I planned the next day’s strategy, discussing the loci (distinct archaeological features) we would excavate and the questions we hoped to answer. I began that particular morning as usual by explaining to my team what areas we would excavate that day. In the early morning light, I pointed out subtle color changes in the soil. The difference between a grey-brown sandy earth and a dark brown moist soil can indicate areas of possible intrusion from another stratum, such as a pit or a robber trench where a wall was dismantled for reuse. I assigned each individual specific tasks and soon the sound of pickaxes striking the earth, “tureas” (hoes) scooping dirt into buckets and trowels scraping walls signalled the start of another day’s work.