Difficulty Level: Easy (but long)

Items/Skills Needed To Start: Level 25 Thieving, Level 10 Agility, Level 10 Herblaw, 1 cut opal (or chisel; you can pan for opals, but it takes a while), Cup of Tea (or 10 gp to buy a cup of tea at the new tea shop in Varrock), Pestle and Mortar, 2 Rope (can pickpocket workmen to get ropes), An Empty Vial, Tinderbox, Gloves, and Boots (Wear gloves and boots at all times!)

Starting Location: All the way southeast of Varrock, (just north of Scorpion Pit mine) Go through gate, head east into building with red floor and talk to Examiners.

Instructions:

1. Talk to the Archeological expert. He tells you to bring anything you find to him. Inquire about exams to Examiner. She gives you an Unstamped letter (was certificate of recommendation).
   
   
2. Go to the Varrock Museum. Use the Unstamped letter (was certificate of recommendation) on the Curator. He will stamp the certificate so you can begin the certification exams. Go to clothes shop next to the general store and buy boots and gloves if you don't already have them; put them on! Also if you don't already have a cup of tea, on your way out of Varrock, buy a cup of tea from the new tea salesman next to the East gate. You can also thieve a cup of tea.
   
   
3. Go back to the Examiner and give her the Stamped certificate of recommendation. Follow the main road north until you come to two wooden walkways. Take the northeast one to the top of the hill (if you get to the tent you went too far). Next to the large urn are two bushes. Search the bush to the east for a Rock sample.
   
   
4. Continue following the walkway to the bottom of the hill. Take the panning tray from inside the large tent.
   
   
5. Go southeast from the tent to the stream and use the panning tray on the panning points. A guide will ask you what you are doing and then tell you that you cannot pan the stream unless you're invited. Ask him how to get invited, he tells you if you do him a favor and get him some tea he will look the other way. Use the cup of tea on the guide to be allowed to pan. Once you pan the stream you must search the panning tray to see what you found. Pan until you get a Rock sample covered with mud and 2 opals if you didn't bring cut opals with you (you may need more than two opals if cutting them fails).
   
   
6. Go Northwest of the panning points to the dig area and pickpocket the workman until you get a Rock sample and 3 ropes (unless you brought the ropes with you already) and a Specimen brush.
   
   
7. Talk to a student in a green shirt, just north of the workman...he will take Rock sample 1 and give you the following exam answer: the study of earth sciences is the study of the earth, its contents and history. A bit north, talk to a male student in an orange shirt. He will take Rock sample 2 and give this answer: the eligible people to use the digsite are all that have passed the appropriate earth sciences exam. Just a bit north of here, talk to a female student in a purple shirt. She will take Rock sample 3 and give this answer: the proper health and safety points are gloves and boots to be worn at all times, proper tools must be used.
   
   
8. Go back to the Examiner and take the exam. (Note that the correct answers will not be offered until you have spoken to all 3 students and done what they have asked; there are no shortcuts in this quest!) She will give you a Level one certificate and a Trowel for completing the first of 3 exams. Do not lose the Trowel, because at this time, once you complete all 3 exams, you cannot get another one from her; however you can pickpocket a Digsite workman for one. You can take the certificate to the Curator at the museum for safekeeping or you can hold onto it until you get all three and then take them to him.
   
   
9. Go speak to the students again to get the answers to the second exam. The green shirt student tells you correct rockpick usage: always handle with care, strike the rock cleanly on its cleaving point. The orange shirt student tells of correct sample transportation: samples taken in rough form, kept only in sealed containers. The purple shirt student explains finds handling: finds must be carefully handled, and gloves worn... You will get a certificate for completing the 2nd exam. You can take the certificate to the curator at the museum for safekeeping or you can hold onto it until you get all three and then take them to him.
   
   
10. Go speak to the students again to get the answers to the third exam. The female student will ask for an opal in exchange for her help. Specimen brush use: brush carefully and slowly using short strokes. Proper technique for handling bones: handle bones carefully, and keep away from other samples. Sample preparation: samples cleaned and carried only in specimen jars. Take her answer and the guy's answers and go to the Examiner and take the third exam. You will get a certificate for completing the 3rd exam. You now have graduated and can dig anywhere in the dig site. Take your certificate to the curator in the Varrock museum and you either get a Chocolate Cake or Fruit Blast as a reward for graduating.
    
    
11. Go back to the Dig site and go to the northeast corner of the dig site (past a winch that you will use later) near the level 3 area with the buried skeleton. Search the sacks and find the Specimen jar.
    
    
12. Go to the northeast corner to the level 3 area with the buried skeleton and use the Trowel on the soil until you find a Zaros Talisman. Next use the Talisman on the Archeological expert (near the Examiner); he will reward you for your keen eye with a scroll saying you can use his personal mine shaft (which is the winch next to the area you got the Talisman from).
    
    
13. Return to the digsite and use the letter with a workman. He will allow you to enter the shafts. Go to the northwest corner, then go south one level (sign reads lvl 2 digs only) to the area with the winch. Operate the winch and you'll be told you need something to help the bucket reach the bottom. Use the rope with the winch and operate it to lower yourself to the bottom. Take an Arcenia root and climb back to the surface.
    
    
14. Go back to the tents. Search the specimen tray outside of the tent where you found the panning tray until you find Charcoal. Use Pestle and mortar on the charcoal to get another ingredient for the bomb.
    
    
15. Go west of the tent where you got the panning tray; you will find 3 barrels. Use the Trowel on them until one of them is opened. Use the emtpy Vial on the open barrel to get an orange unidentified liquid. Do not, I repeat, do NOT drop the vial! You will take from 20 to 36 damage!
    
    
16. Take vial and use it on Archeological expert (by the Examiner) to get it identified as Nitroglycerin.
    
    
    
17. Search the bookshelves in the Examiner's room and find the Book of Experimental Chemistry. Read this book. It has the ingredients to make a bomb you will need later on. Search the cupboard to find the Rock pick (Rock pick is not needed to complete the quest).
    
    
18. Go back to the Digsite to the northeast winch; the guy tells you that it's a private winch. Use the scroll on him to be able to go down. Operate the winch. Use your second rope on the winch, then operate it again to go down. Talk to the Workmen and say the following things: I have been invited to work here, then, do you know where I can find a chest key then from then on use the first option in every sentence to beg yourself a new key.
    
    
19. Go to the tent where you got the panning tray. Use the Chest key on the locked chest and you'll receive an unidentified white chemical powder. Take the unidentified powder to the Archeological expert to get it identified as Ammonium nitrate.
    
    
20. Go back to the Digsite and go back down the north west winch. Prepare yourself an explosive compound:
    
    Use the Ammonium nitrate on Nitroglycerin,
    Use Ground charcoal on the mixture,
    Finally use the Arcenia root on the mixture.
    
    You now have an explosive compound.
    
    
21. Go to the south fork and use the explosive compound on the bricks blocking the way. Then light the brick with your Tinderbox. Once the path has been cleared, go straight ahead and get the Stone tablet in the middle of the room.
    
    
22. Take the Stone tablet back to the Archeological expert to complete the quest and get your reward.

Reward: 2 Quest Points, 2 Gold Bars, 2,000 Herblore Experience, 15,300 Mining Experience, and of course the ability to Pan and Dig at the Dig Site.
Extra: Show the Curator all Digging Certificates and you can choose between a free Snack (Chocolate Cake) or a Drink (Fruit Blast Cocktail)