The Dig Site


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

Walkthrough
To start the quest, first talk to an examiner in the exam center. She will give you an unstamped letter to give to the Curator in Varrock's museum. Take the unstamped letter to the Curator, and he will then add his seal to it which will turn it into a sealed letter. Bring this sealed letter back to the Examiner. The Examiner will give players a Level 1 test.

No matter what players answer on the test, they will get all three questions wrong. Players must get answers from students. Leave the building and head north towards the Dig site. Speak to each student for help. They have all lost something of value. They will give players the answers for the exams if they retrieve the item.

Teddy
Walk a little way north of the exam centre until there are two wooden walkways on a hill. Around this hill will be a blue ceramic urns. Follow the walkway to the top of the small hill and search the bushes near the large urn. One of the bushes has the teddy bear in it. Which bush the teddy bear is found in will be different for each player.

Animal skull
Pickpocket workmen until an animal skull is received. This is why level 25 Thieving is a requirement.

Special cup
Go to the south-east side of digsite. First, find a panning tray from inside the tent near the panning point in the river. Then pan with it. 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. Players may want to contain panning until they recieve an opal, because it will be needed later.

Students

 * The first student is in the northwest section of the dig site. She is a blond girl with a purple skirt and purple 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 with 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 dig site. He has lost his animal skull, give it back to him and he will give you the answer to the first question; "Earth Science is the study of earth, contents and it's history."


 * The third student is in the eastern section of the dig site. He has lost his Special Cup he once 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 Dig site are: All that have passed the appropriate Earth Sciences Exams."

Exams
Go back to the Exam Center and take the exam again, this time putting in the correct answers. If it is done right, players will receive a Level 1 Certificate.

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


 * Correct rock pick usage: Always handle with care; strike the rock cleanly on it's cleaving point.
 * Correct sample transportation: Samples taken in rough form, kept only in sealed containers.
 * Finds handling: Finds must be carefully handled, and gloves worn.

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

Speak to the three students again and obtain the answers, the girl who lost her Teddy Bear wants an Opal, so pan in the river for one if you did not receive it when you were looking for the Special Cup.


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

Now take the road you've gone on many times back to the Exam Center. Answer the questions correctly and you will earn the final Certificate.

Ancient talisman
Player's can now dig anywhere they wish. The Examiner suggests players impress the archaeological expert with something. First, though, show the Museum Curator the three certificates and he will reward you with either a Chocolate cake or Fruit Blast.

Pickpocket workmen until you get a specimen brush and search the cupboard near the archaeological expert to get a specimen jar.

Dig in a level 3 site until you find an ancient talisman (players can find out what level the site is by reading the signposts). Take the talisman to the expert in the exam centre. He will say that it's a talisman of 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
Go to the northwest of the dig site and you will see a Winch, use a rope on it and then take it to go underground to a subterranean cavern. Search the bricks blocking the path. It is impossible to pass until the bricks are cleared. Grab a arcenia root while you're there. Go back to surface and use a rope on the north winch and go down. Speak to Doug Deeping until he gives you a chest key. He will suggest blowing the bricks up.

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


 * Go open the chest near the panning site to get chemical powder.
 * Use your trowel on the barrel near the tent to open it. Use your vial on the barrel to get an unidentified liquid. You will get hit for 25 damage if you drop the vial!
 * Grab a arcenia root from one of the caves.
 * Search specimen tray with specimen jar in your inventory and find charcoal. Grind it with pestle and mortar to get ground charcoal.
 * Show chemical powder to the archeology expert to learn that it's ammonium nitrate.
 * Show unidentified liquid to the archeology expert to learn that it's nitroglycerin. If you drop it now it will do 35 points of damage!

Mix the nitroglycerin and the ammonium nitrate. Then add ground charcoal and then arcenia root. (Herblore level 10 required.) Then you get chemical compound.

Ending
Go down the west winch and use chemical compound to the bricks (not the rocks) and then tinderbox to blow it up. Quickly run away, or you will get damaged. Go to the room with the skeletons (the central chamber). If your combat is 45+ you will not be attacked and armour is not necessary. Find the stone tablet and take it to the center of the room. Give it to the archaeological expert to finish the quest.

Reward

 * 2 quest points
 * 15300 Mining experience
 * 2000 Herblore experience
 * 2 gold bars
 * Show the museum curator the 3 certificates to choose between a drink (Fruit blast) or a snack (a Chocolate cake)
 * With the Varrock Museum update on May 29th, 2007, the talisman can be viewed in the Digsite Exhibit at the museum.

Trivia
When this quest was first released, a glitch prevented players from completing it.