In t?? s????w ?? t?? G???t S??inx ?? Giz?, ??n??t? t?? sc??c?in? s?n ?? t?? E???ti?n ??s??t, li?s ? m?st??? t??t ??s ??zzl?? ?ist??i?ns ?n? ??c????l??ists ??? c?nt??i?s—? ??t?nti?l s?c??t cit? ??ilt ?? ? l?st civiliz?ti?n, c?nc??l?? wit?in t?? ?nci?nt m?n?m?nt’s ?ni?m?tic ???m.

F?? ??n???ti?ns, t?? G???t S??inx ??s st??? ?s ? sil?nt s?ntin?l, ?????in? t?? s?c??ts ?? t?? ??st wit? its insc??t??l? ??z?. B?t ??c?nt ?isc?v??i?s ?n? n?w int?????t?ti?ns ?? ?nci?nt t?xts ??v? ??i?nit?? s??c?l?ti?n t??t t?? S??inx m?? ?? m??? t??n j?st ? s?lit??? st?t??—it c??l? ?? t?? k?? t? ?nl?ckin? ? ?i???n w??l? ???i?? ??n??t? t?? s?n?s ?? tim?.

Hist??i?ns ??int t? t?nt?lizin? cl??s sc?tt???? t????????t E???ti?n m?t??l??? ?n? ?ist??ic?l ??c???s, s????stin? t?? ?xist?nc? ?? ? ???l?? cit? kn?wn ?s t?? “Cit? ?? t?? S??inx.” Acc???in? t? ?nci?nt t?xts, t?is m?t?ic?l m?t????lis w?s s?i? t? ?? in???it?? ?? ? civiliz?ti?n ?? ?n????ll?l?? wis??m ?n? ??w??, w??s? s?c??ts w??? j??l??sl? ??????? ?? t?? ?ni?m?tic ?????i?ns ?? t?? S??inx.

B?t it is n?t j?st m?t? ?n? l???n? t??t ???l s??c?l?ti?n ????t t?? ?xist?nc? ?? ? ?i???n cit? ??n??t? t?? S??inx. R?c?nt ????n?-??n?t??tin? ????? sc?ns ?n? ??c????l??ic?l s??v??s ??v? ??v??l?? ?n?m?l??s st??ct???s ?n? s??t????n??n c??m???s ???i?? ??n??t? t?? m?n?m?nt, ?intin? ?t t?? ??ssi?ilit? ?? ? v?st ?n???????n? c?m?l?x w?itin? t? ?? ?nc?v????.

I? t??s? ?in?in?s ??? t? ?? ??li?v??, t?? im?lic?ti?ns ??? st?????in?. C??l? t?? G???t S??inx ?? m??? t??n j?st ? s?m??l ?? ?nci?nt E???t’s ???n????? C??l? it ?? t?? ??t?w?? t? ? ?????tt?n civiliz?ti?n, w??s? s?c??ts ??v? l?in ?i???n ??? mill?nni??

As ?ist??i?ns ?n? ??c????l??ists c?ntin?? t? ?x?l??? t?? m?st??i?s ?? t?? S??inx, ?n? t?in? ??m?ins c??t?in—t?? ?nci?nt m?n?m?nt ??l?s s?c??ts ??t t? ?? ??v??l??, w?itin? t? s??? li??t ?n t?? ?nt?l? c???t??s ?? E???t’s ?ic? ?n? st??i?? ??st. W??t??? it c?nc??ls ? s?c??t cit? ??ilt ?? ? l?st civiliz?ti?n ?? n?t, t?? G???t S??inx ??m?ins ? t?st?m?nt t? t?? ?n???in? ?ll??? ?? t?? ?nci?nt w??l? ?n? t?? ?t??n?l ???st ??? kn?wl???? ?n? ?n???st?n?in?.