As Gods Above

by Andre Labuschagne

  Most of the team had already been assigned diving and work partners. Once the final members had been confirmed, we were allocated as well. My partner was someone called Michael de Haan – whom I recognized as the author of a couple of articles on interglacial civilization.

  I had been impressed with his arguments, but found some of his theories a little obscure. It might be fun discussing them with the man himself.

  After the orientation I finally got to meet my new partner. At our first I was a little disappointed. I had built up a picture of a dedicated archeologist, and expected at least the image of a typical academic. Michael was the picture of a successful businessman and sportsman.

  I soon discovered that there was a lot more to the big, quiet man than appeared on the surface. Although archeology had to come second to his successful career as a freelance business consultant, he was extremely dedicated and brought to the field a wide and impressive knowledge and experience.

  I learned to respect and like him very much.

  When he decided not to go to town, I was delighted. I preferred another dive with him rather than enduring the pressures of Mumbai anytime. At the very least we had a weekend to ourselves.

  The moment I saw the hole in the wall, I knew we had found something special. I called Michael over, glad that I could share something special with him.

  What we did next was of course not strictly by the book. As a matter of fact it ran counter to almost everything we are taught in modern archeology!

  But finding that passage was like a powerful drug…

  Like Howard Carter and his team we were too excited to think logically.

  What we should have done, was to return to the ship, and arrange backup before venturing into a strange building.

  Anything might have gone wrong. We might have met a major predator, been crushed in a trap, or even trapped by the collapse of a building weakened by centuries of inundation.

  What we did was rush in where angels fear to tread!

  But we did rush carefully!

  I maneuvered the sled into the tunnel, moving ahead at dead slow speed. Michael swam behind and above me with the spear gun, in case we encountered any predators.

  What we would have done if we had a cave in or something like that, I still don’t know.

  We found two deadfalls in the passage. Fortunately the centuries of inundation had ruined the trigger mechanisms and we were able to pass them easily. There was also a pit trap which presented even less of a challenge – we simply swam across...

  Then we reached the end of the tunnel…

  Maharashta, Indian coast, 15th July, 2029

  The passage was remarkably clean. With no current to spread it, any dirt that was borne in by the water was deposited near the entrance.

  It ended at a Door.

  The polished stone showed deep blue, with golden veins shot through.

  Michael ran his hands reverently over the surface. Then he pushed it open. Even after thousands of years, it still moved effortlessly. “This door is carved from solid lapis lazuli” Michael breathed. “And it’s almost ten centimeters thick. Whatever this room was used for, must have been very important.”

  “Then it couldn’t have been a storeroom.” Marianne challenged. “Maybe the apartment of some important person?”

  “Someone went to a lot of trouble conceal the access to this room. They also set traps for anyone trying to gain unauthorized entry. I would guess that it was not entered often. My guess would be a secret treasury, or something like the inner temple.”

  “Well, whatever it was, it’s waiting – let’s go see what is inside!”

  Slowly, almost reluctantly, Michael moved forward - spearing about with his torch. The next moment the room was flooded with light as Marianne maneuvered the sled through the door…

  They looked about in wonder. The room was about nine meters to the side, with a series of low pillars in a circle about a central plinth. Each of the pillars was surmounted by a porcelain urn.

  “Michael!”

  He swam over to Marianne who was inspecting one of the jars.

  “These are genuine Jomon storage jars.”

  “You mean like those they found in Japan?”

  “Yes, this could be positive proof that the civilization which built the continental shelf civilization is directly connected to the Japanese post glacial civilization.

  At the very least there must have been established trade routes. Or maybe the theory that they were brought there by survivors of the inundation is true.”

  Her enthusiasm was infectious. Michael gave her a quick hug.

  “I wish we weren’t wearing scuba gear! This is fantastic.”

  Then he sobered. “I’ve been running on pure adrenaline ever since you found the hole in the wall. We haven’t been thinking straight. We had better not touch anything until we have photographed the whole site.”

  “Ok. Who is going to do the honors?”

  “You go ahead; it was your hole in the wall.”

  “Have you got the camera?’

  “No. I thought you were using it, when you found the door.”

  “That’s right! I must have put it down in the excitement. Give me your torch, I’ll go and get it.”

  “Shall I…”

  “No Michael! I know exactly where I dropped it – I’ll go!”

  Michael

  I watched Marianne as she swam lithely away, then I started looking around the room...

  There were thirteen of the large Jomon type jars, each standing on its own base. Some seemed to have been sealed, but as far as I could see, only one or two of the seals were intact.

  On the rear wall I discovered some paintings similar in style to the ones found in some of the most ancient Egyptian tombs. Others were more like the primitive pictographs from cave graves in China. The most surprising find however was a column of graphics which were clearly proto-pictographs – someone had been experimenting with writing – more than five thousand years before they were supposed to.

  Something drew me to the central plinth. Everything in the room had obviously been designed to focus the attention on this point. It seemed clear that whatever the purpose of this room was, it was centered on this plinth. Maybe it had been the resting place for some ancient god...

  Slowly and carefully I approached the plinth. It was approximately waist high, once again carved from solid Lapis. The top was totally bare except for a recess, about fifteen centimeters long, by fifteen wide, by fifteen deep. It was totally empty. Next to it was a small plaque -obviously intended as a lid for the recess.

  I wondered what possible use such a container could have had.

  On the tile there were some markings. I stared at them in wonder then, without thinking, I slipped the tile into my carryall.

  Thinking back, it still seems strange to me. I fully realize, as I did then, that it is quite unethical to remove artifacts from a dig before they are catalogued, and I have never done anything like that before or since.

  It was almost as if I was under some kind of compulsion.

  Then, somehow, I completely forgot about the plaque, until I got home to New York.

  *** *** ***

  Then Marianne returned with the camera.

  We settled down to start recording everything in the room. Obviously we could not cover everything at one sitting, but we could make a good start.

  Maharashta, Indian coast, 15th July, 2029

  They moved systematically through the room, creating a careful photographic record of every item. They also photographed everything from various angles, so that the spatial and physical relationship of all the objects was clearly recorded.

  Suddenly Michael noticed that it was almost six o clock.

  “I’m afraid we’re running out of time, Marianne.” Michael observed. “If we don’t get back to the ship, poor Bert is going to think a shark got us.

  I have just switched to my last reserve air capsule, so you will probably
be close to out as well.”

  “I hate to leave this.” Marianne looked about “we need at least another hour or two to explore…”

  “Don’t worry my dear; I have a couple of weeks before I have to start at my client. I’ll make arrangements for a charter flight so that I can leave here at the last minute. That way we get to spend a few more time exploring.”

  They turned the sled around, and maneuvered it back up the passage. Once they got outside they posted some sonar beacons to fix the position of their find. Then they started the long slow rise to the surface.

  *** *** ***

  “I just can’t stand the thought of someone else taking over our room!” She continued. “I have a feeling that this site is a lot more important than we could ever know. My stint is only another week after yours.”

  “I don’t think you need worry about that. Being the discoverer still has some meaning in archeology. If I didn’t have a contract to fill, I would have stayed myself. Anyway” he added, “I will be making my recommendation – and pulling every string I can - to get you on the exploration team.”

  “I wish you could stay to work it with me.”

  “So do I. I’ll miss having you around every day.”

  She blushed. “We should try to stay in contact. We have cell and satellite phone connections and ample computer technology. And I’m sure you would like to know what we find”

  As they broached he said to himself: “That’s not the only thing I want to know.”

  She blushed again as he helped her onto the floating dock they used to dive from. “This has been a most interesting and unsettling day.”

  “You’re right my dear. For now, let us have some supper, before we get down to documenting what we have done so far.”

  “Supper by all means. I think. I could eat a horse.”

  “I don’t like them sea horses; the shoes get stuck in my teeth.”

  Laughing she went to her stateroom to shower and change. Michael watched her until the door closed behind her, and then did the same.

  *** *** ***

  After supper they met in the lounge. Michael brought his laptop so that they could prepare their report of the day’s events.

  They started by downloading the photographs and videos they has taken during the dive. Then they catalogued and arranged the photos and videos to give the best impression of the actual room.

  Next they had to write up the log of their dive as well as their finds for the day.

  “I wonder if we have enough data to create a 3D analogue?” Marianne suggested.

  Michael considered: “Let’s give it a try. Jim sent me the latest visualization compositor they are using at the society. Let me just download these images to the source directory.”

  As the 3D compositor program started to digest the digital images and videos, they watched ‘their’ room taking form on the screen. As each different view introduced new information the model took on more detail, creating a virtual world which would allow them to tour their find again and again.

  As additional data became available, this model would keep improving. Eventually it would be posted on the internet, allowing anyone who was interested to inspect the new find at their leisure.

  Blogs and other facilities would enable them to add their own input and conclusions about it. This would allow various experts to analyze the available data and advance their opinions and theories regarding the significance and use of the various objects in the room.

  Michael

  The rest of the team returned on Monday. Our first priority was to lead them through a tour of the virtual room, then we took the team leaders on a physical tour down below.

  Carefully worded press releases were issued, and rather more complete reports were forwarded to the various sponsoring institutions. A feeling of exultation prevailed among the team.

  Marianne and I spent the next couple of days together, as much as possible in the inner temple as the team promptly christened our room. Every possible moment was spent in more detailed cataloguing and photographing to ensure that no detail was lost.

  Within hours of our announcement senior officers from the SES and the University flew out to Mumbai, from where they were ferried out to the dive site. Here they were joined by various Indian government officials as well as representatives from various Indian universities.

  Even my old friend Jim managed to hitch a ride out to see the sights.

  Once the major cataloguing was complete, we took a couple of the executives who were capable of the dive down to the site. For the rest, they had to be satisfied with touring through our virtual world which was by this time a very believable experience, having been augmented with all the data generated by the cataloguing team.

  The next day there was a high level meeting of our team with the sponsors. In addition there were representatives from the National Geographical Society, the Archeological Preservation Society and the United Nations Archeological Bureau, as well as most of the major international and Indian universities.

  Further investigation of the ruins, especially the ‘inner temple’ was mandated. An extended team, with even better facilities than the original investigation would take over the dig under the leadership of Professor J.R. Watson, a senior professor from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Our current team leader, Dr. Adam Strong, was in charge of operations with Marianne as his second in command.

  Sadly I now had to report back to the mundane world of big business, as my next client was waiting, and had deadlines which could no longer be ignored.

  As consolation however, I was able to access the model on the internet, which slowly included more detailed information and the building itself and the artifacts it contained.

  The hardest was saying goodbye to all my friends on the dig, especially to Marianne.

  *** *** ***

  The week after I started at Exaco, the initial results from the analysis of the contents of one of the sealed jars was published. It contained organic ash and other material which had an effective radiocarbon age of fourteen thousand years – give or take seven hundred.

  This sent a wave of shock through the establishment of the archeological world, since the oldest recognized city was still Catal Huyuk in Syria. And that was half the size of our little city – and only seven thousand years old.

  Unpacking back in New York handed me quite a shock as well. At the back of my carryall I found the plaque. I suffered some serious qualms about it, but there was no gracious way to return it to the site.

  Then I got a good look at the markings on it. I realized that I just had to decode it. And I had a lot of study ahead of me.

  *** *** ***

  Marianne and I kept in touch over the next couple of years.

  She visited me a couple of times in New York when she was on holiday, and we met in India whenever I had a project there.

  I even spent an unforgettable three week vacation with her, visiting her parents on their farm near Robertson in the Western Cape Province in South Africa.

  The biggest event in this time was when Marianne and I were invited by the National Geographic Society to receive an award for “Outstanding Achievement in Archeological Research”.