Replicated bones and ruins sprinkle the grounds ofProfessor of Bible and Ministry Dr. Dale Manor's excavation site, Tel Achzib, in Searcy, Arkansas, on Dec. 3, 2012. This site, containing four different levels ofhistorical artifacts from the Middle Bronze Age to a modern campsite, wasfeatured in the 2019January/February issue ofthe Biblical Archeology Review. I photo courtesy of Dale Manor On Nov. 28, 2017, graduate student Evan Pratt and senior Dawna Stirrup unearth a jar from Manor's excavation site as a part of their class, Archaeology and the Old Testament. Manor constructed the dig site in 2007 and has allowed students to excavate it since its completion. I photo courtesy of Dale Manor EDUCATIONAL EXCAVATION Professor of Bible and Ministry Dr. ·Dale Manor built a dig site for students to excavate. D r. Dale Manor, professor of Bible and ministry, brought new meaning to the phrase "bringing the class to life." In 2007, Manor spent seven months constructing a dig site that students in his archeology class, Archeology and the Old Testament, could excavate throughout the semester. "The purpose of the class was to teach students the basics of archaeological theory and method, how to excavate, how to think archaeologically, how to keep records, how to begin at least tentative interpretation and how to integrate what they're finding with things chat have been found in previous seasons," Manor said. "It's Bible class in the sense that we're studying life in ancient Israel. So it deals with how they ate, what fortifications they raised, worship ... just daily life." Manor built the site, which is located in Searcy, Arkansas, on land donated by Professor of Speech Dr. Pac Garner, to a scale of complexity that allowed students to build upon each other's discoveries for over 11 years. This aspect of continuous research was what made the experience true to life. "I never rebuild the site," Manor said. ''Archaeology, by its almost defined strategy, removes the information, and so you have to keep very careful records, drawings, photographs, descriptions [and] databases of what you've removed. And then when you continue to excavate, the material you find has to be integrated with what's gone. I deliberately designed it large enough and complex enough that they have to work with that experience." Senior Savanna Phares praised Manor's real-world dig experience. "This was the best class I have ever taken at Harding University," Phares said. "The excavation activity was by far my favorite part of the class. We were able to participate in hands-on learning, detailing how archaeologists measure the heights of their finds, sift through layers of development, document discoveries and deal with the effects of nature. At the end of each dig day, we would usually all be sweaty, covered in dirt and raving about the day's find. I am now proficient in breaking topsoil with a pickax and can say that I have unearthed a tomb." Senior Drew Ericson, a student from the fall 2017 class, felt that this experience was what made the class stand out. "It was really beneficial to have a hands-on experience where we got to apply what we were learning in class," Ericson said. "It was an incredibly well-built and well-executed lab environment." Manor wanted students to understand the mechanics ofarcheology and what research could come from it, but he also wanted them to recognize the ways that archeology can fall shore. "I wanted them to understand what archaeology adds to our understanding of society, particularly the Biblical world, but equally important: what are the limitations of the data, and what information can be extracted from that?" Manor said. "Many times, I hear people talk about what archeology has proven. Well, chat's almost always an overstatement. Even ifyou don't find something, chat doesn't prove that it wasn't there." story by Macy McClung 89 I BIBLE & MINISTRY
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