The Dig Site


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

Walkthrough
Go to the Exam Centre, south of the Digsite. Talk to an Examiner and ask her about taking an exam to be eligible to do work on the Digsite. She will then give you an unstamped letter. Take this letter to Curator Haig Halen in the Varrock Museum. After he adds his seal to the letter, return to the Exam Centre and speak to an Examiner again who will then give you a level 1 test.

No matter what you answer on the test, you will get all three questions wrong. You must get answers from students in the digsite. Each student has lost one item and will give you the answer when they get it back.

The Study Group
There are 3 students in the Digsite who can help you with the exam answers. They will give you the answers only if you find a lost item of theirs. It's best when getting answers to note them down as you may forget the answers later on when you begin the exam.

You can obtain the 'special' items before talking to the students.

Teddy


From the Exam Centre, walk a little way north towards the digsite until you come to two wooden walkways. Follow the eastern walkway to the top of the small hill and search the bushes near the large urn which has a blue pattern on. One of the bushes has the teddy bear in it. Once found, return it to a female student found in the north-west section of the Digsite to get the first answer. She is blonde and is wearing all purple.


 * 1) Exam Centre
 * 2) Teddy and a nearby Digsite workman
 * 3) Digsite workmen
 * 4) Panning tray
 * 5) Panning fishing spot


 * Note: To speed things up a bit, pickpocket the Digsite workman near said walkway and the urn until you receive an animal skull and specimen brush. Also, you can pan until you get a special cup and uncut opal at the sea just a bit to the south.

Animal skull
The second student is found in the southern section of the Digsite. He has blonde hair and is wearing a green shirt. To find his lost item, "steal-from" Digsite workmen until you get an animal skull. Return it to the student, and give him his lost item to get the second answer. If you obtain a Specimen brush, keep it; you'll need it later in the quest.

Special cup
The last student is found on the eastern section of the Digsite. He is wearing an orange shirt. After speaking to him, you find out he lost 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 try to pan with it. The Panning guide will stop you and ask for a cup of tea, give it to him. Then, pan in the river till you get a Special cup. If you get an uncut opal, keep it, as you'll need one later on. Return to him to get the last answer.

Level 1
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.

Note: If the player drops any of the certificates, they will not be able to receive them again to give to the Curator. He gives an award of a Chocolate cake, an item requirement of Desert Treasure, which can be troublesome to attain without 50 Cooking.

Level 2
To pass the level 2 test, you 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.

Level 3
To pass the level 3 test, speak to the three students again to obtain the answers. However, the female student will want an uncut opal or opal for her help this time. Pan in the river for one if you did not receive it when you were looking for the special cup. 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.

Ancient talisman
Grab a specimen jar from the south wall in the cupboard inside the Exam Centre and talk to the archaeological expert and the researcher. Then, head back to the Digsite, and pickpocket workmen until you get a specimen brush if you haven't got one already.

Dig in the north-eastern most dig site, the sign will read "Level 3 digs only." Use your trowel on the soil until you find an ancient talisman. Take it to the expert in the Exam Centre. He will say that it's a talisman of Zaros and is impressed. Then, he will give you 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 western digging area of the Digsite, and you will see a winch in the middle of it. Use your Invitation letter on a Digsite workman that's working (NOT on the workman that's standing next to the rocks at the winch nor the one with the wheelbarrow), and then use a rope on the winch to gain access to the sublevels of the Digsite.

Grab an arcenia root near the rope, and go east until you see some large bricks blocking the way to a room to the south. "Search" the bricks, and then go back to the surface. It is impossible to pass though until you clear the path. Return to the surface, and head towards the north-eastern 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 to be used on the chest in the tent where you got your panning tray. You need to mix ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin, ground charcoal, and arcenia root to get the Chemical compound that can blow up the bricks blocking the path in the western winch. (Although not needed, the recipe for this compound is described in the Book on chemicals, which can be found in one of the bookshelves in the Exam Centre.)
 * Go open the chest near the panning site to get chemical powder.
 * Use your trowel on the barrel (marked with a skull and bones if you rotate the camera around) west of the tent with the chest to open it. Use your vial on the barrel to get an unidentified liquid. You take high damage if you drop the vial!
 * Grab an arcenia root from one of the caves if you haven't already.
 * Search the specimen tray north of the tent with a specimen jar in your inventory till you find charcoal. (Note: If planning to do Desert Treasure, get a second charcoal to save time, but don't grind it.) Grind it with a pestle and mortar to get ground charcoal.
 * Show the chemical powder to the archaeological expert in the Exam Centre to learn that it's ammonium nitrate, and then show (be careful not to left click on the empty option) the unidentified liquid to him to learn that it's nitroglycerin.
 * Mix the nitroglycerin and the ammonium nitrate. Then, add ground charcoal, and then add the arcenia root. (Herblore level 10 required.) Then, you get a chemical compound.

Finishing up
Go down the west winch, and use the chemical compound on the bricks (not the rocks), and then use a tinderbox on the bricks to blow it up. Go through the room, and pick up the stone tablet. Give it to the archaeological expert to finish the quest.

Reward

 * 2 Quest points
 * 15,300 Mining experience
 * 2,000 Herblore experience
 * 2 gold bars
 * Show the museum curator the 3 certificates to choose between something to drink (fruit blast) or something to eat (chocolate cake). Get the cake since you'll need it for Desert Treasure.
 * The ability to do Varrock Museum specimen cleaning to obtain a Digsite pendant.
 * The talisman can be viewed in the Digsite Exhibit at the museum.