Excavation
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass a cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping an uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel the material dug out in making a channel or cavity archaeological research that unearths buildings, tombs and objects of historical value a site where an archaeological exploration is being carried out
Mining
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The business of removing solid valuables from the earth; e.g., gold mining.
Part of speech: verb
Definition: Working in a mine.
Example sentence: When my father started talking about strip mining in the Appalachia back in the '60s, I remember a conversation I had with him where he said, you know, this is the richest state in the country if you look at the resources and the land, but the poorest people after the state of Mississippi: the 49th poorest people in the country.