Setting

Ok, on this entry I am going straight to the point. I want to start posting photos soon and also tell you about the places I have been and things I have done lately so I have to start by describing the surroundings and the people I am with.

The people
I am working with a team composed by 8 archaeologists at the moment, including me. Three of them are American, one is Polish, another one is from Wales, another from England and the last one, the project officer, he is British from Gibraltar. We are pretty much the core of the team although some people have been here before and we also expect a new member for the last month. We get on well so far and I find them nice. Some of them knew each other before although I didn't know anyone except the last of the archaeologists who will come later (we shared the room in Bahrain).

Apart from them, you have to add another seven guys who are from Pakistan and they work for the museum. They live in a house on the site and four of them assist us with the excavation, another one works as a driver for all of them (and us if we needed him), another is the site watchman and the last one does different kind of works related to construction and maintenance. For us, they are colleagues and friends rather than just manpower. They are extremely nice, kind, funny and we enjoy a lot our time together. We even meet out of working hours to have fun and some good laughs. They are a really positive touch on this project. We also have about 10 Indian workmen from a building company but communication with them is difficult and the Pakistanis act as translators and middle-men.

We also have always around the resident archaeologist and his wife (both Germans) as well as his assistant (Pakistani). They are all really nice, helpful and kind people. They make things work much smoother both on-site and at the house. They also answer all the questions we have about RAK and the rest of the UAE with infinite patience.

The house
It is located within a compound in the middle of an empty area few yards away from a busy road so it is noisy all the time but one gets used to it. There are another 3 houses in the compound: one for the resident archaeologist and his wife, another one for the assistant, his wife and his twin brothers, and the last one for the Philippino cook as well as other people I haven't met.

It is big and roomy, not brand new but in reasonably good conditions. The rooms are for maximum two people and I am now sharing with the Polish guy, who is quiet, clean, tidy and nice (I hope he thinks the same about me). There are 5 rooms and we have our own toilet but there are another 3 bathrooms, one en-suite. The kitchen is not very big but, as I told you, we have a cook who cooks the food everyday. The living-dining room area is wide and large with sofas, desks, plenty of books... A nice area to relax and chat. In short: I definitely like the house.

The site
If you search "Al Nudood, UAE" on Google Maps, you will more or less see it. It's on a sand bank right on the sea shore. It is beautiful place although not a paradise at all because there is some rubbish and scrap. Besides, locals are passing by with their cars, quads and motorbikes all the time. Also some lorries and even a school bus, not to mention the goats and chickens... Anyway, the breeze helps a lot when it gets too hot (something that hasn't happened yet). RAK has some high mountains and we can also see them from there, very impressive. However, there is some mist often so we rarely enjoy the picture. We are digging there because it will be destroyed soon. They are going to build a desalination and power plant. We should hit at some point the remains of a trading city from the 14th to 16th centuries. So far, we are still digging fairly modern stuff. It is not very spectacular but quite interesting archaeologically. Probably nothing that is worth a visit for someone who is not really into Archaeology... When we find something cool, I will let you know.

All this will be understood better when I include some photos and I explain more things as the time goes. That should be happening in the next few weeks, now that the frame has been set up.