Lisa was fascinated as she shined the light on the bog mummy that had been found in the swamp. The body was that of a young woman. Her clothes were in bad condition because of the bog or possibly shredded before she went in.
She spoke softly into a microphone leaning over as she described the artifact. "The find appears to be a young woman of caucasian descent. The age appears to be young, possibly between sixteen and twenty-five years old. She's wearing a dress of indeterminate color and a cloth over her hair much like pilgrim women did. Unable to tell eye color and hair color. Unable to measure due to the body being curled in on itself. She is estimated to be about five foot eleven inches. Face has an expression of possible discomfort. There is a noose around her neck as well as indication from her body she was cut in several places. This does not denote typical sacrifices, nor does the time point to sacrifices. Quite possibly, this young woman was hanged for a crime."
Lisa sat back thoughtfully. She turned and got a pair of tongs that she used to gently press against the clothes looking for anything that might be of interest. She frowned as she felt a lump near the thigh. She pressed harder. Yes it was definitely a lump. She decided to X-ray to see if it could possibly be a tumor. She had to wait. The room was in use, and as she did, she tapped her foot impatiently.
This was an incredible find, and for Lisa, the papers she would be able to write on this girl would push her up the social ladder of scientists already in her field. If she could find anything on the history, it would be a coup. She had already gotten a sample to determine how old the girl was and how long she had been in the swamp. It was frustrating to have to wait.
Finally, after what seemed forever, the X-ray room became available, and she wheeled the mummy in, getting it set up and potioned. The machine wasn't like the ones used in the hospital; no film had to be used. Instead it was digital.
Lisa frowned at what she saw. The object was square and appeared solid and nothing else was out of the ordinary. She saved the information to a disc, and signed off on the room so the next person who needed it could use it.
She covered the girl, and wheeled her back to the exam room to dictate what she observed. Once that was done, she had to make a choice. Try to remove the object herself or leave it alone until her assistant came in the following day.
This would be tricky. The clothes were threadbare from being in the bog, and Lisa didn't want to make it worse. Finally, after she wrestled a bit longer, she decided to proceed. She bent over it with a pair of forceps and dipped it through a split in the dress, and cautiously explored the area. The forceps hit something hard, and she carefully pulled it out. She held her breath, unable to believe what she was seeing. It was wrapped in oilcloth to protect it, but it was the shape and size of a small book.
She hastily set it down, recording her find eagerly. This was going to make her the envy of the museum; she was sure of it. Lisa carefully unwrapped it. The outside was leather with flowers tooled on it, and she opened it to find cream-colored paper in perfect condition with words written in copperplate handwriting from the old days. The ink was slightly faded but still legible.
She flipped to the front of the cover, which proclaimed in faded ink, 'The journal of Patience Elizabeth Langley'
"Well, Elizabeth, let's piece together what happened to you, shall we?"
A sharp knock made Lisa jump. She shut the book with a snap.
A colleague looked in on her. "Lisa, you said you wanted to go back to the swamp and interview the kids? Samson is heading down there to visit someone he knows. You can catch a ride."
Lisa smiled. "No, I have all I need. Thank you, Craig I'll just be working late tonight probably, so do let the night guard know."
Craig nodded.
