I was stationed in Naples Italy at the NATO base from 1983 to 1986. I had the good fortune to watch the excavation of Herculaneum back then. I went there many days and watched for hours as the archaeologists meticulously scraped away the lava and debris. Back then we were able to get within a few feet of the workers and see what they saw as they uncovered human remains, pottery, sculpture, and other artifacts. It was awesome to see the revelation of an ancient society.
If I ever finish getting my house renovated it might be fun to sign up for one of the archaeology digs advertised in Archaeology Magazine and I presume other places.