In Israel, nearly anyone can be an archaeologist

Israel stands at the crossroads of civilization, and is so rich in archaeology and antiquities that even today, new discoveries are being made, sometimes in the most unlikely manner.

Via Biblical Archaeology

While patrolling the Roman-Byzantine ruins at Horbat Siv in central Israel,  inspectors from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) found an intact 1,400-year-old oil lamp that had been dug up by a porcupine.

In response, the  Israel Antiquities Authority  put out a warning to all amateur porcupine archaeologists:

“The IAA calls on all porcupines to avoid digging burrows at archaeological sites and warns that digging at an archaeological site without a license is a criminal offense.”

Porcupine in Israel