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At the aqueduct at Caesarea |
2/1/12
For five adventurous Randolph-Macon College students,
January Term 2012 was a month full of discovery.
Students enrolled in The Archaeology of Israel, taught by John Camp II, the
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor in Classics, and
Classics Professor Elizabeth Fisher, spent two weeks visiting archaeological sites, museums, monuments, synagogues and churches in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. R-MC alumnus and Board of Trustee member
Skip Vichness ’69 generously provided financial support for participating students.
Click on Archaeology of Israel for a slideshow of photos from the trip. In their post-travel essays, students reflected on the beauty and rich culture of Israel.
Kelly Moss ’13 wrote, “At Masada we got to see another example of Roman presence in Israel, the Roman army. From the top of Masada, looking down on the surrounding area, multiple Roman camps can be seen in their traditional playing-card shape; we also got to see the siege ramp going up the side of Masada. After learning about the Masada myth, I was excited to actually see the site.”
A high point for many of the travelers was the opportunity to participate in the archaeological excavation at Tel Maresha, which houses the remains of an ancient Hellenistic cistern.
David Knutson ’15 noted, “It was a lot of fun. Everyone dug up at least one artifact during the short time we were at the site. Most of the artifacts that were dug up were little pieces of bone and pottery.”
Religious Studies major
Kelly Connor ’12, who plans to attend seminary, has a keen interest in Abrahamic religions.
“The class and trip were informative and surprising in a multitude of ways,” she wrote. “First, the classroom portion gave me all the tools I needed to be an informed traveler. As I was new to archaeology, I found it helpful that students were given an overview of the important historical events in Israel, and a chronology of when each archaeological period occurred within the Israel region. This enabled me to better understand the age of a site or an artifact while listening to on-site lectures in Israel.”
Fellow traveler
Kelli Stevenson ’14, an
art history major, enjoyed visiting the Temple Mount.
“I have studied the Dome of the Rock several times, and it was always one of my favorites,” wrote Stevenson. “It was such an incredible experience to be able to see it in person, because it is even more beautiful in real-life than in textbooks. We were even able to catch a quick glimpse inside, which was amazing, because no one is allowed in.”
For
Classics major
Sarah Fetzer ’14, traveling to Israel gave her a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by archaeologists in Israel.
“Religion is a major obstacle to archaeological excavations in Israel,” she wrote. “The world’s three most prominent monotheistic religions have strong and tangible roots there.” She described the trip as “an amazing experience…this trip inspired me to continue studying in the field of archaeology.”
William Krupp ’67 was also among the travelers.
Click on Krupp to read his exciting account of the trip.
January Term is a four-week session between the fall and spring semesters that provides students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture, gain real-life experience through an internship or explore other areas of study.