Excavate (verb)

1. Dig or dig out (a hole or channel).
2. Remove earth from (an area) to reveal something buried beneath.
3. Discover or uncover (something) by digging.

Origin:

Late 16th century: from latin excavat- "hollowed out", from the verb excavare, from ex- "out" + cavus "hollow".

Examples:

1. They excavated a trench to lay the foundation for the building.
2. The archaeologists excavated an ancient city.
3. The construction company excavated the site to make way for the new development.
4. The team is excavating a fossil-rich area.
5. The scientists excavated the ice core samples to study the climate history.