excavation

(noun) the act of digging. Synonyms: digging, dig. Example: "There's an interesting excavation going on near princeton."

(noun) the site of an archeological exploration. Synonyms: dig, archeological site. Example: "They set up camp next to the dig."

(noun) a hole in the ground made by excavating.

(noun) the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth. Synonyms: mining.