The Dig Site


 * This article is about the quest. For the location east of Varrock, see Digsite.

Walkthrough
To start this quest, go to the Exam Centre which is south-east of the east side of Varrock (on the way to Al Kharid/Lumbridge). Talk to an Examiner and ask her for an exam then she will give you an unstamped letter. Give this into the Curator in Varrock Museum. He will seal it. Bring the sealed letter back to the examiner. The examiner shall then give you the level 1 test.

No matter what players answer on the test, they will get all of the questions wrong. Players must get answers from other students. They are scattered over the Digsite. Leave the building and head north towards the Digsite. Speak to all 3 students for help (the items can still be found before talking to them). They have all lost something. They will give players the answers if you find a lost item of theirs. Its best when getting answers to note them down as you may forget the answers later on when you begin the exam. It is recommended to use the notes system in your interface.

Teddy
Walk between the Exam Centre and the Digsite and stop when you reach two wooden walkways on a hill. Follow the eastern walkway to the top of the hill and search the eastern most bush near the large blue urn.

Animal skull
Pickpocket Digsite Workmen until an animal skull is received. This is why level 25 Thieving is a requirement. A higher level in Thieving will increase your chances of receiving it. If you happen to get a specimen brush, keep it because you will need it later.

Special cup
Go to the south-east side of Digsite. First, find a panning tray (4) from inside the tent near the panning point in the river. Then attempt to pan with it (5).

The Panning Guide will stop you and ask for a cup of tea. If there is a cup of tea in a players inventory, he will automatically take it. Then, pan in the river. After some time you will obtain a special cup. You may also find an uncut opal, nuggets, oysters, coins, or uncut jade in the tray, either before or after you have gotten the cup.



Students



 * The first student is in the north-west section of the Digsite. She is a blonde girl with a purple skirt and top. If players talk to her, they will discover she has lost her teddy bear and she will tell them where to find it (see above). Use the teddy bear on her, and she will tell players, "The proper health and safety points are: leather gloves and boots to be worn at all times; proper tools must be used." Remember this for the exam later.


 * The second student is in the Southern section of the Digsite. He has lost his animal skull, give it back to him and he will give you the answer to the first answer; "Earth Science is the study of earth, its contents and its history."
 * The third student is in the eastern section of the Digsite. He has lost his special cup he had won for an excellent find. Return it to him and he will answer the third and final question for players. "People eligible to use the Digsite are: All that have passed the appropriate Earth Sciences Exams."

Exams
NOTE: You must talk to each of the students before taking each new exam, otherwise the correct answers below will not even appear as an option!

Level 1 Exam
Go back to the Exam Centre and take the exam again, this time putting in the correct answers. If you have forgotten the information, they are as follows:


 * "The study of Earth Science is: The study of the earth, its contents and history."


 * "The people eligible 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 it is done right, players will receive a Level 1 Certificate and a trowel as a reward

Level 2 Exam
Return back to the Digsite and ask the students for Level 2 answers, which are as follows:

(Note: You do not need to ask the examiner to take the 2nd quiz before you ask the students for the answers to the 2nd quiz)
 * 1) Correct sample transportation: Samples taken in rough form, kept only in sealed containers.
 * 2) Finds handling: Finds must be carefully handled, and gloves worn.
 * 3) Correct rock pick usage: Always handle with care; strike the rock cleanly on its cleaving point.

Once again, talk to the Examiner and pass the quiz and receive a Level 2 Certificate.

Level 3 Exam
Speak to the three students again and obtain the answers for Level 3 Certificate. However, the female student will want an uncut opal for her help this time, so pan in the river for one if you did not receive it when you were looking for the special cup.


 * 1) Sample preparations: Samples cleaned, and carried only in specimen jars.
 * 2) Specimen brush use: Brush carefully and slowly using short strokes.
 * 3) The proper technique for handling bones is: Handle bones very carefully and keep them away from other samples.

Now take the road you've gone on many times back to the Exam Centre. Answer the questions correctly and you will earn the final certificate. While here, grab a specimen jar from the south wall inside the cupboard.

If you want, you can take your three certificates to the Curator, who will look after them for you. This is not necessary to finish the quest, however.

Ancient talisman
Players can now dig anywhere they wish. The Researcher suggests players impress the archaeological expert with something.

Make sure to get a specimen jar or you cannot dig in the level 3 soil. Obtain this from searching the south cupboard in the exam centre. Then Pickpocket workmen until you get a specimen brush.

Note: it may take some time to find the Talisman.

Before you leave the Exam Centre, talk to the archaeological expert, then use your trowel on the soil in a level 3 dig site at either the north-east end of the dig site or the other level 3 spot just north of the training spot in the southwest corner of the digsite until you find an Ancient talisman (players can find out what level the site is by reading the signposts).

Possible finds in level 3 dig site:


 * Black med helm
 * Broken armour
 * Buttons
 * Belt buckle
 * Clay
 * Bronze spear
 * Leather boots
 * Leather gloves
 * Coins (1-10)
 * Spade
 * Broken staff
 * Ancient talisman
 * Damaged armour
 * Iron knife (1)
 * Bones
 * Broken arrow
 * Ceramic remains
 * Pie dish
 * Old tooth

All Finds are completely random, Although Receiving a black med helm is Common. A quick way for cash without requiring much.

As a general guide, the further north the dig site is, the higher level it will be. The dig site in the far north-east corner, bordered by rocks, is a level 3 dig site. You will be stopped by an NPC telling you that you need a specimen jar, if you don't already have one. Specimen jars are located in the exam centre in the cupboard on the south wall. You will probably NOT receive the talisman on your first attempt, so keep trying. Take the talisman to the archaeological expert in the Exam Centre. He will say that it's a talisman of the god Zaros and that he is impressed. Then he will give players an invitation letter, which must be shown to workers to get permission to go down the boreholes, or private dig shafts.

Chemical compound
(bring extra vials here if you want more chemical compounds for later use. See note below)

Also watch out for left-clicking on the Vial when you show the archaeology expert the "unidentified liquid" as this will "carefully empty out the liquid" and you will have to collect the liquid again.

Search the cupboard along the south wall near the archaeological expert in the Exam Centre to get a specimen jar (these can also be found in the sacks at the north end of the dig site), before going to the north-west corner of the Digsite.

There, you will see a winch. Use your Invitation Letter on the a Digsite Workman that's working (so NOT on the Workman that's standing next to the rocks at the winch) in order to use a rope on the winch, then click on the winch to go into the subterranean Digsite Dungeon.

Grab an arcenia root while you're there because you'll need it later (located next to the west wall near the rope.)

Go East and search the bricks blocking the path. It is impossible to pass until the bricks are cleared.

Go back to surface and use a rope on the second winch, located in the north-east area of the Digsite, then go down the winch.

Speak to Doug Deeping, ask him how you can move a large pile of rocks and he gives you a chest key. (Use the 'drop' trick here with the key if you want more keys. See note below) He will suggest blowing the bricks up, and also speaks about a former colleague who discovered what chemical substances to use. However he was scared away by his findings down the shaft and his notes scattered all over the site. His Book on chemicals can be found in the Exam Centre, in the south-eastern bookshelf against the wall, facing south. After the Quest is completed the book can be found in your own player house. Note: The option about the large pile of bricks will not appear unless you have searched the bricks.

You need to mix ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin, ground charcoal, and arcenia root to get Chemical compound that can blow up bricks blocking the path.


 * Use the chest key that Doug Deeping gave you on the chest in the tent near the panning site (Where you got the pan) to get chemical powder.
 * Use your trowel on the barrel on the west side of the tent to open it. Use your vial on the barrel to get an unidentified liquid. You will get hit for 250 damage if you drop the vial! (While the dialogue box is up with "You fill the vial with liquid", click on each of your other vials in your pack. This will save you having to use the trowel each time to fill each vial. These like the "Chemical substance/s" WILL ALL have to be named by the "archaeology expert" before turning into "a Chemical Compound")
 * Grab an arcenia root from one of the caves, if you don't already have one.
 * Search the specimen tray north of the tent to find the charcoal. (You must have a specimen jar in inventory to do this.) This might take several tries. Once you find it, grind it with a pestle and mortar to get ground charcoal.

Then, go back to the Exam Centre.


 * Show the chemical powder to the archaeology expert to learn that it's ammonium nitrate.
 * Show the unidentified liquid to the archaeology expert to learn that it's nitroglycerin. If you drop it now, it will do 350 points of damage! (Make sure you right-click and use the vial with the expert; a left click will empty the vial, but you will not take damage)

To make the chemical compound, everything except the charcoal dust must be identified with the archaeological expert. Mix the nitroglycerin and the ammonium nitrate. Add ground charcoal first to the mixture, and then the arcenia root. (You will need level 10 Herblore to do this step.) You will receive a chemical compound.

If you drop the resulting chemical compound it will do 650 damage!

After the quest you will not be able to get more ammonium nitrate since Doug Deeping will not give you another key, so be sure to get a lot of it if you want more chemical compounds (You DO NOT need to keep getting a key from Doug, you can just keep clicking on the open chest whilst it is open and you have a message in your chat box) possibly to show off your damage with Dharok's.Another idea would be to get more keys since the drop trick works.

So before you finish drop the key and talk to him, and repeat till you have all the keys you need.

Note: If you already have key in your bank - drop trick will not work. So, maximum obtainable number of keys - 28, unless you go to a bank and carry those 28 on you as notes.

Ending
You will now need a tinderbox, so go and get one if you do not already have it in your inventory. Go down the north-west winch in the Digsite and use the chemical compound on the brick (not the rocks). Now use the tinderbox on the brick to blow it up. You will automatically run away. Enter the central chamber. If your combat is 45+ you won't be attacked and armour isn't necessary. Pick up the stone tablet in the centre of the Zaros sign. Go back to the archaeological expert and use the stone tablet on the expert to finish up.

Note: If you are playing on Low or Min detail, the Zaros symbol will not appear on the ground.

Players can show the Museum Curator the three certificates (only the level three certificate is required) and he will reward you with either a chocolate cake or a fruit blast. (once only)

Reward

 * 2 quest points
 * 15,300 Experience
 * 2,000 Experience + 7 experience from making the Chemical compound
 * 2 gold bars
 * Show the museum curator the 3 certificates to choose between something to drink (fruit blast) or something to eat (chocolate cake)
 * With the Varrock Museum update on 29 May 2007, the talisman can be viewed in the Digsite Exhibit at the Museum.
 * Ability to do Varrock Museum Specimen Cleaning to obtain Kudos and a Digsite pendant.
 * You are now allowed to go through the back door of the museum and the gate in the museum.

Music unlocked

 * Venture2

Required for completing
Completion of The Dig Site is required for the following:


 * Another Slice of H.A.M.
 * Desert Treasure
 * Medium Varrock Tasks

Trivia

 * When this quest was first released, a glitch prevented players from getting the specimen brush so no one was able to complete it.
 * When returning to the Exam Centre with the sealed letter, you do not need to talk to the same examiner that you talked to when you received the unstamped letter. If you do happen to talk to a different examiner, the dialogue will be said as if you had spoken to each other before. This is also the same situation with taking the exams.
 * After completing the quest you can pickpocket the female student to get the teddy bear again.
 * The Zaros Talisman received during the quest is identical to the shape on top of the Ancient staff, received for completing Desert Treasure, which is, incidentally, a quest which requires completion Digsite Quest.
 * If a player has completed Romeo and Juliet quest, when taking the letter to be sealed, the curator will be pleased about what you did about Romeo and Juliet. The same is true for other quests, such as Shield of Arrav.
 * After you have broken the barrel that contains the Unidentifiable Liquid, your character will say, "It's opened it!" Interestingly, the Danger! symbol on the barrel disappears when you do this.
 * If you attempt to use a vial on the barrel your character will state that "It's not open".
 * Upon completing this quest one's Adventurer's Log will read: "I'm now a qualified archaeologist, having learned from the best at the Digsite and found a mysterious cavern with strange symbols."
 * After completing the quest, if you talk to Juna, your character will say, "...And the examiner was very impressed that I had discovered an ancient altar of Zaros." to which she replies, "Zaros? I had not heard that name for a thousand years even before the start of my sojourn here."
 * Having completed this quest will give an alternate ending to Demon Slayer.