A partnership between a crowdsourced archaeology organization and a veterans recovery program has opened up new possibilities for American military veterans in a field that may once have seemed like a stretch: archaeology.

“Our participants are coming from all walks of life, from all over the world,” says Lisa Wilkins, managing director of DigVentures. “They're digging here with us in the trenches, and they're watching what's happening online.”

As a trench is excavated, the data is uploaded into DigVentures’ digital archaeological recording system, where it is immediately accessible to all their global supporters. In addition, the team produces daily 3-D models of each trench, gives updates on major finds, and uses the video streaming app Periscope to send live broadcasts