Archaeologists - University Fieldwork Practices & Student Internships
Archaeologists, how does your practice usually go at the university? Do you do internship at real digs or at places, where you tryna research and discover something new?
I'm making a comic about 6 students who were on practical work and disappeared.
If you have some answers, I'd love to hear from you.
So base draft scenario looks like this.
Two groups of students just arrived on the island and professor is telling them a bit of history: that there are a lot of evidence of existing magically developed ancient town - The Town of Light (ToL). And here is on the island they are gonna research it, but this is not the town itself on the island. They just had all the clues leading here, and they found the place quite a long time ago. Since then they have been at a dead end. So every year in searching of fresh ideas, they propose students prize for any clues which allow them to progress. (I think about practice with the coolest specialist + grant for first own research + automatic exam pass. But i don't know if it sounds believable)
And of course he warned them don't throw parties.
Our heroes got to the tomb searching for clue, but mainly because they though it would be cool to check there first (First question: how should they prepare for this: materials research, books, food, lamps, etc.?)
--> and they actually found some clues, which is was suspiciously too easy
--> they almost got to some trap (don't know what kind of trap it could be yet)
--> but pass it and found a secret section
--> they started research it with excitement until the professor came in and turns out it was well known section just leaved hidden as sort of test for students, so it isn't really it
--> they made photos before go to rest and think
--> the next morning they decided to change tactics seek around the place
--> (here is I probably need your help, I need some try & fail stories. What kinda clues would they search around the tomb, temples, town? Maybe it is sign / navigation stones or something? I mean what would be your plan / first thoughts / behavior pattern? Do you have any story from real life for a reference?)
....
--> after those fails, one of the main characters saw his crush, and wanted to show off his skills in reading hieroglyphs (the crush from the biologists group, the second group on the island, because there is a lot of endemic species)
--> he started explain that one hieroglyph means "door to another world", and like ancient people probably used it just as symbol for ocean, because they could indeed see the ocean as a door to a different worlds; and the crush casually says "oh, it looks like that old arbor thingy"
--> after clarifying where it is and saying thanks-sorry, of course =) the character immediately rushing to his friends
--> but it is evening and they've decided check it tomorrow
--> "the arbor" is more like elegant Stonehenge version with circled floor made of stones at the center of this construction. The floor consist of two circles: a small inner circle, and a big one around, split into 6 sections. Oddly enough, they are covered in myths about gods, that are associated purely only with the ToL culture from legends (but not with island). So the characters knew it had to be here.
--> every section was about a different deity, but each of 6 outer sections have one center piece with the same symbol, so they thought these are just decorative elements, until one of characters accidently touch the right one and it starts to glow
--> another character tried as well - 'wtf, why isn't this working for me?' - and he tried to touch every single one until the right one glow
--> "does it work for all of us?" "well, if it worked for him, I bet 'yes'" "give me a minute, I'll solve it" "ugh, until you solve it..."- they just tried every single like the previous character did while the solver drew the scheme "oh, god, just try it, there is only two options left"
--> one of the sectors was indeed his, but there is a problem - there are only five of them. "So, now will you finally let me solve this?" "go on"
--> the symbol on each section wasn't actually the same and just rotated like they thought, and anybody of sound mind - it was a number and each section had its own if you look at them from one side
--> he figure out that every symbol connected to the date of birthday, so they need the person with the remaining number - you guess it right, the biology crush guy
--> they open the thing (central circle piece was actually a lid) and found a pool with crystal clear water inside, so assumed that it should be connected to the ocean or something
--> the 'solve this' guy dived in to check, but there is nothing, not the slightest gap.
--> dead end again...they decided to relax and throw mini party in the pool, only 6 of them
--> the professor came to check them and found out, they thought he will be mad, but he didn't actually care, because he was the same as a student. He was more impressed that they managed to open the thing, because nobody found this pool before. (Okay, I assumed that the second reason he didn't care so much was because there is literally water inside and they won't cause much harm just chilling there as water erosion could for all these years. But I can be mistaken, how does water affects ancient structures?)
--> when it was almost night and both moons had risen, suddenly, a small fish with luminescent pattern jumped out of the center of the pool, and returned back to the water "you said there is no way out"... "maybe water illusion or something, I didn't see anything"
--> they all dive to check
--> the lid closed
--> they are suddenly in the middle of the ocean
--> return to the coast
--> but it is not the same coast, they turn around and see a sparkling shimmering town on a giant flying rock - The Town of Light
What kind of realistic details can I add? I know it can seems like a strange question for the story with magic, but I mean their actions, so it feels natural, like a real archaeology practice
any professional features or attributes, terminology or slang
when usually your field practice starts (at the biology faculty, we had practice in the mountains after our second year)
About these towns:
The place on the island itself was a small town with culture and technologies affected by the ToL about 9000 years ago, but not the continuation of it. They have a lot of stories about the ToL and traveling to it, about different events, but they are completely different people with different origin.
What are these differences can be? How can I describe these two cultures?
The ToL people have origin from another magical town which was built before in desert, this old town has Ancient Egypt setting, but of course developed differently because of magic. The ToL itself was build later in more temperate climate, so this could affect but I don't know how yet.
The town on the island was build by the people isolated on it. The island has more tropical climate.
Both cultures has pyramids, but they don't usually use them as tombs - more like magical temples. (or I think about making difference here, like: the ToL people use as a temple, but island people - as a tomb).
This way I can make burial of pharaoh from Tol on the island, let's say, he liked to show off. And the main characters may find some magical artifacts.
What can I include in a map of island, when I will draw it? so characters have a lot of things to research and at the same time it would be logical ancient infrastructure
My English isn't perfect, because I'm not native (the main reason why I decided to make a comic and not a novel 😅), so be free to clarify if you don't understand something
thank you in advance