‘Healing through restoration’: How Israel’s hidden dig site builds community out of archaeology

The Tell Qana Archaeological Project, co-directed by Dr. Amit Dagan and Dr. Ayelet Dayan, is an excavation site near Hod Hasharon that combines advanced archaeological research with education and community engagement. Unlike other sites in the Sharon region, Tell Qana had not been previously excavated, revealing a rich history from the Early Bronze Age to the Persian period, including over 200 years of Philistine presence and artifacts from Egyptian, Assyrian, and even WWI eras. Dr. Dagan emphasized the project's unique approach, stating, "I wanted to build a project that would combine advanced archaeological and environmental research with education and community engagement."

• The project fosters a strong sense of community, attracting university students and volunteers from the public, including children, who contribute to the digging and restoration efforts.
• Beyond excavation, Tell Qana incorporates a Citizen Science project, engaging individuals on the autism spectrum in lab work.
• The "Lab for Mending Fragments" initiative, in collaboration with Bar-Ilan University, utilizes archaeology as a therapeutic tool for healing and restoration, working with soldiers with PTSD, Holocaust survivors, and midwives specializing in stillbirth care.
• As Dr. Dagan noted, "Our job is to tell the story of these people, because we are here and we can learn a lot from them."