The Excavation

by Stovohobo

Dr. Kidd frowned, brow creasing in a fit of concentration as his finger traced the patterns of the stonework. It was half-buried under moss and rubble, but by now, the excavation had cleared away most of the ruins.

As his hands glided over the bumps and curves and indentations, footsteps approached.

“How goes the detective work?” a bored, elderly female voice said.

Dr. Kidd clicked his tongue in frustration. “All right, I suppose. These bas-reliefs here, though, they don’t match the cultural artwork of the era.”

“Right. Which was?”

“Flat. Straight lines. Painted on, not carved.”

“And these?”

“Just the opposite. Will you get the radar and confirm this? It feels like an animal – religious icon, probably.”

The footsteps went away, and came back a few seconds later. A beep sounded. “Yep. A stone head, about three teeth still remaining, a tongue curled outward…”

“What? What is it?”

Rose, the woman, was speechless for a moment. “Dr. Kidd, I think you may have found our city.”

Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. The Excavation

    Ana Cristina's Buddy Icon Ana Cristina

    Posted 16 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    This feeds into my childhood dream of becoming an archaeologist. Brilliantly written with great pacing – it helps add to the immediacy of the situation and the exhilaration of the find.
    LoA

  2. The Excavation

    THX 0477's Buddy Icon THX 0477

    Posted 16 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I like it, nice subtle job on some characterization and plot development while still maintaining a tight focus on Dr. Kidd.

  3. The Excavation

    thebetweenspace's Buddy Icon thebetweenspace

    Posted 15 days ago

    I love the detail: “Flat. Straight lines. Painted on, not carved.” A great story well told.

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