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dig site, the

Reward

- 2 Quest Points.
- 2,000 Herblore XP, 15,300 Mining XP.
- 2 Gold Bars.
Start Point
Archaeological Digsite, sign posted east of Varrock.

Members Only
Difficulty:

Length:

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Requirements
Skill: 25 Thieving, 10 Agility, 10 Herblore.
Item: Tinderbox, Chisel, Rope (2+) (Can be stolen from dig-site workers), Pestle and Mortar, Vial, Uncut Opal (Can be obtained through quest, but faster if you have it), Cup of Tea, Gloves and Boots (to be worn at all times when digging).

Recommendations
Item: Small Amount of Food, Energy Enhancing Items (Boots of Lightness, Spotted/Spottier Cape, Energy Potions, etc), Varrock Teleport Runes.

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Feeling uneducated? Desperate for buried treasure?
..."There's gold in them there hills" (well stream actually) as well as many other items that can be found at the Digsite. Join the students in their attempt to be a qualified archaeologist, and become experienced in making the earth move! Have you got what it takes to unearth the hidden altar to one of RuneScape's lesser-known Gods...?

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Part 1:
Archaeological ExaminationsStep 1
Get Tea.
Talk to examiner, then curator.
Talk to the examiner again.Items needed: Tea (obtained during step, used in next step).

Teleport to Varrock. While in Varrock be sure to buy or steal a cup of tea from the Tea Stall, south-east of the east bank.

Talk to the Examiner at the Exam Centre. Ask if you can take the exams. She says you need to get a certificate signed by the Varrock Museum Curator (Picture). Go to Varrock and use the certificate with the Curator, he will sign it and asks you to tell him later about your progress.

Go back to the Examiner and you'll be able to take the level 1 exam, but the answers will come out as wrong. You need to get the answers off the students walking around the Digsite.

Step 2
Talk to the student in the green shirt.
Find teddy bear and return it.
Talk to the green shirt wearing student.
Get it back via pickpocketing workmen.
Give it back to the student.
Talk to the student in a red shirt.
Pick up a pan and try panning.
Give the guide your tea.
Take the cup back to the student.
Take the first exam.
Talk to all the students.
Take the second exam.
Give the girl in purple an opal for her answer.
Talk to the students in red and green.
Take the third exam.Items needed: Tea.

Talk to the student in the purple skirt (Picture). She will give you the answer if you find the teddy bear she lost. It can be found by searching the bushes just south of the brown urns, near the blue urns. Take it back to the student for the answer to the question. Talk to the student in the green shirt. He's lost an animal skull, and he says someone might have picked it up. Pickpocket the Digsite workmen to find it. Take it back to the student for the answer to the question. Now talk to the student in the red shirt (Picture) and he'll tell you he's lost a cup. He says he lost it near the river, so pick up a panning tray from a tent near the river (Picture) and use it with the panning spots. A guide will stop you, saying you don't have permission to pan, but he'll overlook it if you bring him a cup of tea. If you haven't already, go to Varrock and steal a cup of tea from the stall south-east of the east bank (Picture). Use the cup of tea with him and you'll be allowed to pan. You should get the cup soon, so take it back to the student, and he'll give you the answer. Go back to the Examiner and take the exam. The correct answers are below:

The study of earth sciences is the study of the earth, its contents and history.
The eligible people to use the Digsite are all that have passed the appropriate earth sciences exam.
The proper health and safety points are gloves and boots to be worn at all times, proper tools must be used.

If you answered correctly, she'll give you a level one certificate and a trowel, and will let you start the level 2 exam.

As with the level 1 exam, all answers at the beginning are incorrect in the level 2 exam. You need to get the answers off the students. You don't need to get anything for the students this time. Just talk to them to get the answer. Once you have obtained the answers, go back to the Examiner and take the exam. The correct answers are:

Always handle with care, strike the rock cleanly on its cleaving point.
Samples taken in rough form, kept only in sealed containers.
Finds must be carefully handled, and gloves worn.

If you answered correctly, she'll give you a level 2 certificate, and will let you start the level 3 exam.

As with the other exams, all options at the start are wrong, and you need the help of the students. The students in the red and the green shirts will give you their answers without anything (just talk to them). However, the girl in the purple skirt wants something, namely an uncut opal. If you didn't bring one, you can pan for one in the river. Go back to the Examiner and take the exam once you have the information needed. The correct answers are:

Brush carefully and slowly using short strokes.
Handle bones carefully, and keep away from other samples.
Samples cleaned and carried only in specimen jars.

If you answered correctly, she'll give you the level three certificate. Now go back to the Curator and show him the certificates.

Part 2:
Impressing Expert and Making ExplosiveStep 3
Search the sacks.
Find the Talisman.
Use it on the expert. Search any of the sacks near any digging areas to find a specimen jar and pickpocket a Digsite Workman to get a specimen brush. Talk to Elisa the expert, and then go digging with your trowel in the most north-east Digsite.

Eventually, you'll unearth an Ancient Talisman. Use it with the Archaeological Expert (Picture), who will give you a letter allowing use of the dig shafts.

Unless you are lucky and get the talisman early, the additional objects you dig up will spill onto the ground. Either drop the excess items so that you see each dug up object in your inventory at one point, or move around when digging so the objects you dig up are visible on the ground. If the talisman is on the ground under all the other items, it's very hard to see it.

Step 4
Get the key and use it on the chest.
Get the expert to ID it.
Get nitro from the barrel and get it IDed.
Get coal and grind it up.
Get an arcenia root.
Combine the ingredients, use on the bricks, then use tinderbox with bricks.
Pick up stone tablet and take back to expert. Go to the exam center and search the bookshelves until you get a book about chemicals. Read the book, then go to the winch in the east of the Digsite and attempt to go down. A workman will stop you, you need to show him the letter to be allowed access. Use your rope with the winch to go down and talk to the workman once down there. Ask about the key to the chest, and beg him for it. If you get no options about a key, go down the second winch nearby and search the bricks. Then, go back and speak to the workman down the first winch once again. Once you have the key, go back up and go to the tent with the panning tray respawn. There should be a chest nearby, use the key with it to get 'Unusual Powder'. Use it with the Archaeological Expert, and he'll identify it as Ammonium Nitrate.

Near the tent with the Ammonium Nitrate are some barrels (Picture). Use you trowel with a barrel to open it, then use a vial on the open barrel to get some unusual liquid. Use it with the Archaeological Expert and he'll identify it as Nitroglycerine. Identify both the Ammonium Nitrate and the Nitroglycerine at the same time, for it saves time.

Search the specimen tray near the tents to find a piece of charcoal. Use it with your pestle and mortar to obtain crushed charcoal.

Go to the winch to the west (Picture) and there are some Arcenia Roots on the floor, pick one up. Now you have all the ingredients for the bomb. Get the arcenia root last, otherwise you'll need more rope.

Go back down on the winch and along the hallway to some bricks (Picture). Use the Ammonium Nitrate with the Nitroglycerine vial, then the crushed charcoal with the mixture, then the Arcenia Root to obtain a Chemical Compound. Use the Chemical Compound with the bricks, then use your tinderbox with them also. The bricks will blow up, revealing a cavern beyond. There is an altar at the end (Picture). Take the stone tablet off the ground, then go back and use it with the Archaeological Expert.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the point of doing the exams?
A: You need to do certain exams to be able to access the different dig sites. Without a level 3 certificate, you cannot dig to find the Zaros Talisman.

Q: What happens if I drop the Explosive Mixture / Nitroglycerin?
A: They will explode, dealing you damage.