The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - excavatev.

1) dig (out or up) , hollow or gouge (out) , scoop out, burrow or cut (out) : They are excavating a great hole in the centre of the site. 2) unearth, uncover, expose, clear, lay bare, dig up, disinter, bring up, exhume: A large part of Pompeii has been excavated.