A winter storm in 2012 made a new slice into the ancient community of Caesarea, on the coastline of the Mediterranean Ocean. Each colored layer of rubble represents a community that once stood, but was then destroyed by either a war or an earthquake.

Ever wondered why archeologists are always digging? They’re looking for the past!

In 2012, our team of videographers visited Caesarea Maritime, on the shoreline of the Mediterranean Ocean. There had been an unusually big storm that winter, and the ocean had cut away a huge chunk of land just a short walk away from the beautiful aqueduct that is visited by thousands of tourists each month.

Because of the storm, history was on display in a single glance! The first people who lived in Herod’s magnificent coastal city  built their community on what they knew as ground level. The city was destroyed in a great war, leaving nothing but rubble.

In time, a new city was built. Some of the building materials were salvaged from the old city. The rest was covered with dirt in order that the new community might be built on top of it. The people had no means of removing the rubble, and a higher city also provided for better defenses. In succeeding generations, a city like Caesarea might be destroyed several times, either by war or earthquakes. Each time, new residents built on top of the old.

Therefore, today’s archeologists dig down to find the past. The science is complex, but the idea is simple. The deeper you go in the dirt … the deeper you’ll go in history!

Want to see more, and hear directly from experts in the field? Download our video presentation on archeology!