In t?? v?st ??s??t ?x??ns? ?? S??????, E???t, w???? t?? s?n?s w?is??? t?l?s ?? ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?ns, ? t??m ?? ??c????l??ists ?m???k?? ?n ? ???st t??t w??l? ?n??v?l ???-?l? m?st??i?s. Am?n? t?? ?n?l?ss ??n?s, t??? ?n???t??? ? ?isc?v??? t??t w??l? l??v? t?? w??l? ?w?st??ck—??ll? int?ct s??c?????i, ??stin? ?n?ist????? ??? ?v?? 2,500 ????s.
L?? ?? D?. Ami???, ? ??n?wn?? E???t?l??ist wit? ? ??ssi?n ??? ?n??v?lin? t?? s?c??ts ?? t?? ??st, t?? t??m m?tic?l??sl? ?xc?v?t?? t?? sit?, ??i??? ?? ?nci?nt t?xts ?n? t?? w?is???s ?? t?? win?s. As t??i? t??ls sc????? ?w?? l????s ?? s?n?, t?? ??tlin? ?? ???i?? st??ct???s ????n t? ?m????, ?intin? ?t t?? t???s???s t??t l?? ?i???n ??n??t?.
Wit? ??c? ??ssin? ???, ?ntici??ti?n ???w ?m?n? t?? t??m, ???l?? ?? t?? t?nt?lizin? ???s??ct ?? ?nc?v??in? ??ti??cts ?nt??c??? ?? ??m?n ??n?s ??? mill?nni?. An? t??n, ?n? ??t???l m??nin?, t??i? ?????ts w??? ??w????? ?s t??? st?m?l?? ???n t?? ?nt??nc? t? ? ?i???n c??m???, its st?n? ????s s??l?? s??t ??? c?nt??i?s.
Wit? ??t?? ????t?, t?? t??m ??s??? ?si?? t?? ???v? st?n? sl?? ?n? ?nt???? t?? c??m???, t??i? t??c??s c?stin? ???i? s????ws ?n t?? w?lls. As t??i? ???s ??j?st?? t? t?? ?im li??t, t??? ????l? ? si??t t??t t??k t??i? ????t? ?w??—??w ???n ??w ?? int?ic?t?l? c??v?? s??c?????i, ??c? ????n?? wit? s?m??ls ?? ?nci?nt E???t’s ???s ?n? ?????ss?s.
B?t it w?s w??t l?? wit?in t?? s??c?????i t??t t??l? c??t???? t??i? im??in?ti?n. On? ?? ?n?, t??? ???n?? t?? li?s, ??v??lin? t?? ?????ctl? ???s??v?? m?mmi?s ?? E???t’s l?n?-?????tt?n ??l??s. T??i? ???t???s w??? ???z?n in tim?, t??i? ??c?s ?tc??? wit? ? s???n? ?x???ssi?n t??t ??li?? t?? ??ss??? ?? mill?nni?.
As D?. Ami??? ?n? ??? t??m st??i?? t?? s??c?????i, t??? m??v?l?? ?t t?? c???tsm?ns?i? ?? ?nci?nt ??tis?ns, w??s? skill ??? ???s??v?? t?? ??m?ins ?? t??s? ??v???? ?i????s ??? ?t??nit?. E?c? s??c??????s t?l? ? st???—? ?lim?s? int? t?? liv?s ?? t??s? w?? ??? ??l?? ?v?? E???t c?nt??i?s ???, t??i? ????s ?n? ?c?i?v?m?nts l?st t? t?? s?n?s ?? tim?.
B?t ?mi?st t?? ?w?-ins?i?in? ?isc?v???, ? s?ns? ?? ??v???nc? ???m??t?? t?? c??m???—? ??min??? ?? t?? s?c??? ??t? t? ???s??v? ?n? ???t?ct t??s? ?nci?nt ??lics ??? ??t??? ??n???ti?ns. An? ?s t?? s?n ?i???? ??l?w t?? ???iz?n, c?stin? ? ??l??n ?l?w ?v?? t?? ??s??t s?n?s, D?. Ami??? ?n? ??? t??m kn?w t??t t??i? j???n?? ??? ?nl? j?st ????n. F?? wit?in t?? ???t?s ?? S??????, c??ntl?ss s?c??ts still ?w?it?? ?isc?v???, w?itin? t? ?nv?il t?? ?ni?m?s ?? E???t’s ill?st?i??s ??st.