THE TOMB

CHAPTER:1

                                                          THE TOMB

                                A novella by Antony Bradbury © 2017

                                                         The Opening

                                                           Chapter One

  "We are going over live to Brag Williams who is outside the tomb. Good morning, Brag. What can you tell us about the tomb and what is found inside?"

  "Good morning, Julia. The tomb was opened yesterday at about 3:30pm. I have to tell you that the antiquities department have had to suck out the air from the tomb to keep this ancient atmosphere exactly as it was eight thousand years ago. The curator, Professor Sprig, who is standing with me, told me a few moments ago that the bore hole his department set into the tomb was in every way successful and that the atmosphere his team collected is without any contamination, and that the interior atmosphere of the tomb has been replaced with nitrogen gas so that no further oxidation of the contents can occur" said Brag, turning to face the professor of antiquities.

  "Doctor Peter Sprig. Would you tell the viewers a little of what is to happen with the tomb now the tomb has been opened." The curator cleared his throat and spoke clearly, his voice, a semitone higher than normal, visibly unable to suppress his excitement.

  "Good morning, Brag. Now that the tomb is opened, a team of suited archaeologists are to enter the tomb to take 4D information and to take samples of the walls and floor for a full examination back at the university, DNA too, if there is any. We know from initial isotope dating of the air we drew off last night gives us a date of 2017. This tomb, though it might be something else, was constructed exactly six thousand years ago."

  "Six thousand years!? exclaimed, Brag, drawing in a deep breath, "Is there any possible indication to show that civilisation goes back way before then?"

  "Oh, yes, "replied professor Sprig, slightly surprised at the question, "Our findings show that human civilisation goes back at least eleven thousand years and, possibly, as much as twenty thousand years," said Sprig, confidently. "We are recording live everything that happens inside the tomb. Unfortunately, our the moon-base laboratory is out of action, due to a nearby meteor strike. Until the repairs are complete, we will be teleporting the tomb to our Sheffield university, where preliminary observations of artefact placement will be carried out by third year students and our post grad team. For now that is all I can tell you."

    "What sort of things have been found inside the tomb that you could identify that viewers might recognise, from a purely functional standpoint?" asked Brag, expectantly.

    "Well, we're not sure this is a tomb, as such, though the initial indications are there is a necrophile connection within, but more on this when more work has been done back at the university. As for the describable artefacts; well, it's early days, but we have recognisable objects, both hard and soft that people of this period would have used as seats, unlike the sterile air cushions we use today. Initial observations show that plastics, organics or wood, and various metals were used for seating, this we can be almost certain. We found too, large flat, off the floor plates with, what I can only describe as looking like supports, leg shape, these being places where objects could or might have been placed. Other than that, and again, more work need to be done. We have found writing on the most delicate from of organic sheets, both the walls and on the fat, what I think are tables. Some with images of possibly the people who lived during this era. Of course, the anthropological department will be able to soon answer many of the questions of the peoples of the then Holocene era. We are at the end of the Holocene, well it means today for us."