El Araj Archaeological Excavations Season 7 - Week 2 Day 1- This post will be a bit shorter. Heat and fatigue are starting to take a toll. Work in the squares along the northern wall of the church is making real progress. They have worked hard to dig down to the Roman level and in the process have uncovered what was the original northern wall of the Byzantine church. It parallels the current northern wall but is more in line and perpendicular with the eastern wall. It seems that the original church was larger, underwent some kind of destruction, and then was rebuilt and renovated. The northern and western walls of the current church are part of that renovation, together with most of the floor mosaics we see today. The Hong Kong team was joined today by Dr. Bobby Duke from Azusa Pacific University and the MOTB. He is here to participate for a few days with his son. The team have been working to uncover a later period drainage channel but are prepared to go through a Byzantine floor tomorrow. It should be interesting to see what they find. Area D continues to produce many finds from the Roman era - coins, a discus lamp, fishing weights, and a ring. Our work in the apse will likely draw to an end tomorrow. We have uncovered what we are able to do until the mosaics in the apse are removed. If that happens then we will return in October to investigate more fully what lies beneath.
