The Dig Site

The Dig Site (#48)
Released		9 July 2003 (Update)
Members		Yes
Quest series		Mahjarrat, #1
Lead developer(s)		Ian T

The Dig Site is a quest where you must pass an archaeology exam for the Varrock Museum to be able to excavate the site where the city of Saranthium previously stood, but you discover something else...

Go to the Exam Centre, south of the Digsite. Talk to an Examiner and ask her about taking an exam, and she will give you an unstamped letter to take to Curator Haig Halen in the Varrock Museum, located in the east of the city. Talk to him and he will use his seal on the letter, authorising you to take part in the exam. If you don't have a cup of tea, you can obtain one now from the Varrock tea stall.

Speak to an Examiner again who will test you. Answer anything, the answers do not matter as they are all wrong. When you fail, the examiner suggests you ask the other students for help.

There are three students in the Digsite who can help you with the exam answers, but they each have a lost item they want retrieved first. To save time, gather these items before visting the students.

Head north of the Exam centre until you come upon two wooden walkways. Follow the eastern walkway to the top of the small hill and search the easternmost bush by the large blue urn to find the missing teddy bear.

Enter the tent at the end of the walkway and pick up the panning tray from the table. Use the cup of tea on the nearby panning guide and he will thank you and allow you to pan in the river to the east. Using the panning points, pan in the river until you get the special cup. You may also receive an uncut opal, keep it for later in the quest.

"Steal-from" nearby Digsite workmen until You steal an animal skull appears. If you obtain a specimen brush whilst stealing from the workmen, keep it as you'll need it later in the quest.

Once you have all three lost items, return them to each student (you will need to talk to each person twice).

The first student who lost the animal skull has blonde hair and is wearing a green shirt, north of the tent.

Further north-east is the second student who lost their special cup, wearing an orange shirt, with short black hair and darker skin.

The female student who lost their teddy bear is further north-west, wearing all purple with blonde hair.

Note: If the correct answer is not present in the selection given, you must have missed talking to a student. Check the quest log to find out which one, speak to them, and then try again.

After helping out all three students, return to the Exam Centre and speak to an Examiner. Speak to her to retake the exam. To pass it, use the answers that the students gave you:

1. Can you tell me what Earth Sciences is? - The study of the earth, its contents and history.
2. Can you tell me which people are allowed to use the digsite? - All that have passed the appropriate Earth Sciences exam.
3. Can you tell me the proper safety points when working on a digsite? - Gloves and boots to be worn at all times; proper tools must be used.

If done correctly, players will receive a Level 1 certificate and a trowel.

To pass the level 2 test, speak to the three students again to get the answers and return to the Examiner. The questions and answers are:

1. Can you tell me how we transport samples? - Samples taken in rough form; kept only in sealed containers.
2. What is the proper way to handle finds? - Finds must be carefully handled, and gloves worn.
3. Can you tell me the proper use for a rock pick? - Always handle with care; strike cleanly on its cleaving point.

Upon passing, players receive a Level 2 certificate.

To pass the level 3 test, you need to speak to the three students again to obtain the answers. However, the female student will ask for an uncut opal or opal this time. If you still need one, pan in the river until you obtain it. Talk to her twice, she will first request the opal, then give it to her in the second conversation. Return to the examiner and take the last test:

1. Can you tell me how we prepare samples? - Samples cleaned, and carried only in specimen jars.
2. What is the proper way to use a specimen brush? - Brush carefully and slowly using short strokes.
3. Can you describe the technique for handling bones? - Handle bones very carefully and keep them away from other samples.

Upon passing, players receive a Level 3 certificate and permission to dig in all levels. You may choose to keep the certificate to later exchange with the Museum Curator for a chocolate cake or fruit blast, which may be used for other quests like Desert Treasure I and Recipe for Disaster.

Grab a specimen jar from the cupboard on the south wall inside the Exam Centre. If there is no search option, speak to Terry Balando about the tools first. Head back to the Digsite and pickpocket a Digsite workman ( 25 ) until you get a specimen brush if you didn't get one earlier.

Head to a dig site marked by a level 3 sign, either the south-westernmost dig site or the northernmost dig site (see map above). Use your trowel on the soil until you find an ancient talisman. This often takes many tries and can easily take several minutes to find. You find a strange talisman will appear in a dialogue box when found.

Bring the talisman to Terry Balando in the Exam Centre, who identifies it as a talisman of Zaros, a pagan god little is known of. As a reward he will allow you to use the private dig shafts, giving you an invitation letter to show a Digsite workman as proof.

There are two winches in the Digsite (see map above). Use your Invitation letter on a Digsite workman (not the 'Dig site workman' which lacks a pickpocket option) that's working near a winch, and then use a rope on the west winch to gain access to the sublevels of the Digsite.

Climb down the rope by operating the winch ( 10 ). Grab an arcenia root just north of the rope, then head south-east where there are bricks blocking the way. "Search" the bricks, and the player will muse about asking someone to help move them.

Return to the surface and head towards the north-east winch. Use another rope and go down, there you will find Doug Deeping. Speak to him and ask him how you can move a large pile of rocks. He will give you a chest key.

There is a book on chemicals found in the bookshelves of the Exam Centre detailing the creation of an explosive compound that you will need to use to clear the bricks, but you do not need to read it to progress in the quest.

Use the chest key on the chest in the tent where you got your panning tray to get chemical powder. Use your trowel on the centre barrel just west of the tent to open it, then use a vial on it to fill it with an unidentified liquid. Do not drop it or you will take 25 non-fatal damage and must re-retrieve the ingredients.

If you didn't bring charcoal, you may search the specimen tray north of the tent with a specimen jar in your inventory until you find some.

Warning: If you drop the chemical compound now, you will take 65 non-fatal damage.

Once you have the chemical compound, go down the western winch to use the chemical compound on the bricks (not the rocks), and then use a tinderbox on the bricks. Your character will run away as the bricks explode, clearing the path. Pick up the stone tablet in the room, avoiding the level 22 Skeletons if below 45 Combat Level.

Bring the tablet to Terry Balando, who remarks that the tablet shows that the followers of Saradomin must have tried to cover up the evidence of the Zaros altar when building Varrock. He gives you two gold bars as a reward.

Congratulations, quest complete!

• 2 Quest points
• 15,300 Mining exp
• 2,000 Herblore exp
• 2 gold bars
• Giving the museum curator the Level 3 certificate allows you to pick between something to drink (Fruit blast) or something to eat (chocolate cake). You will lose the reward if you exit the dialogue after he has taken your certificate but before you have chosen the reward. You do not need to give him the other two certificates to receive the reward. Get the cake for Desert Treasure I or the fruit blast for Recipe for Disaster.
• The ability to do Varrock Museum specimen cleaning to obtain a Digsite pendant.
• The Ancient talisman can be viewed in the Digsite Exhibit at the museum on the ground floor.

Completion of The Dig Site is required for the following:

• Another Slice of H.A.M..
• Bone Voyage
• Desert Treasure I
• Completing a medium difficulty task for the Varrock achievement diary.
• Completing a hard difficulty task for the Varrock achievement diary.

• The original release of this quest in 2003 was "botched".^[1] It wasn't possible to complete the quest until the day after it released, due to being unable to obtain the specimen brush.
• Previously, completion of the quest granted the ability to choose the book of darkness after completion of Horror from the Deep.

v t e The Dig Site
NPCs	Examiner Researcher Curator Haig Halen Student Digsite workman Nick Nisha Panning guide Terry Balando Doug Deeping
Items	Unstamped letter Sealed letter Teddy Animal skull Cup of tea Specimen brush Panning tray Rock pick Special cup Trowel Specimen jar Ancient talisman Invitation letter Arcenia root Book on chemicals Chest key Unidentified liquid Ground charcoal Ammonium nitrate Nitroglycerin Chemical powder Mixed chemicals Chemical compound Stone tablet Certificates Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Extraneous digsite items Nuggets Belt buckle Broken armour Broken arrow Damaged armour Broken glass Broken staff Buttons Ceramic remains Cracked sample Old boot Old tooth Rusty sword Vase Opal Uncut opal
Locations	Areas Exam Centre Digsite Digsite Dungeon Scenery Specimen tray Soil Panning point Winch Barrel
Music	Venture Venture 2
Related	Quick guide Transcript Journal

v t e Digsite
NPCs	Barge foreman Barge guard Barge workman Dig Site workman Digsite workman Doug Deeping Ed Wood Elissa Junior Navigator Lead Navigator Nick Nisha Panning guide Student Workman Workman (wheelbarrow)
Scenery	Sacks Specimen tray Soil Panning point Winch
Related	Digsite Dungeon Exam Centre Saranthium Senntisten The Dig Site