The Community Archaeological Project of Ancient Lod, directed by the Israeli Institute of Archaeology, is a unique project in Israel. 

Community Archaeology was first initiated in the 1970’s in North America, but has become an accepted strand of archaeology only in the last few decades, at which point it was also introduced and implemented in Israel. The community approach to archaeology, in contrast with common archaeological practice, places the local population at the center of attention while the researchers and the sites serve as means to achieve social goals such as community empowerment, a sense of belonging, and respect for the local history and environment. The community involvement in historical research, archaeological excavations, and in conservation and maintenance of monuments, has been repeatedly shown to result in a sense of pride and deep identification with local heritage. Such sentiments inspire the population's investment in the future of the city. 

Two approaches to community archaeology currently prevail. The first regards community archaeology as Cultural Recourse Management (CRM). The second regards community archaeology as an integral part of the scientific process, and as such the community should be involved in all aspects of the scientific process from decision making and research to publication. 

Community archaeology around the world has been proven to effectively alleviate conflicts within the population. It also provides the opportunity for descendants of local inhabitants to be involved and contribute to the preservation of their own heritage. 

At Lod, we utilize community archaeology in various manners:
• Local steering comittees to ensure the population's involvement in the planning and execution stages of the project. 
• Reaching out to students in local schools with extracurricular activities organized by Karev plan for the archaeology and history of ancient Lod.
• Yearly activity peaks with the participation of the students in an excavation (link). 
• Education programs regarding the history of Lod and its monuments with the professional guidance of the “Yesodot” conservation team, of the Israeli Institute of Archaeology. 
• Involving students, schools, and companies to take part in the Ancient Lod Adopt-a-site (link) program. 
• Professional Historical preservation training programs for the local population and the unemployed. 
• An annual conference presenting current research and a publication of the proceedings
• A competition to name the project and design its logo
• Social involvement of local businesses in the project 
• Documentation of the project and publication in various media
• Data collection for the www.ancientlod.com website. 
• Training programs for teachers and guides