Archaeological Site of Al-Nagah, Sahara Desert, Egypt
In the heart of the vast Sahara Desert, where the sun mercilessly burns during the day and the biting cold swallows the nights, stood the Archaeological Site of Al-Nagah. Like an oasis of curiosity amidst the sea of sand, this remote location was the stage where the dreams and mysteries of the past met with present reality. And it was there that I, as an archaeologist, embarked on a journey that had seemed like a dream since childhood.
My name is Alexander Hayes, and alongside a diverse team of experts, I embarked on this expedition to explore the buried depths of Al-Nagah. The site was known for its rich and vast history, yet still largely unexplored. We landed at Cairo airport. My skin was already sweating due to the scorching sun. It was my first time in the field, as my previous work had been limited to laboratory research and dating of some objects. Now, my doctoral advisor had come at the government’s request to excavate the region, proposing a more hands-on experience, which I eagerly accepted.
As I mentioned, this had been my dream since childhood. Ever since I watched “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” I became interested in archaeology, which led me to documentaries about the pyramids of Giza, fueling my excitement for all things Egyptian. I dreamed of following in the footsteps of the great explorers and unraveling the hidden secrets of antiquity. And now, here I was, just a few kilometers from the world’s most famous desert, ready to face the challenges that archaeology held.
I was snapped out of my trance by Dr. Benjamin Renswor, my supervisor. He was asking for help with his luggage, heavy due to the excess of books.
“I told you to bring a computer, it would have been much easier,” I said as I strained my muscles to lift those pages.
Dr. Renswor let out a hearty laugh, his eyes shining with the excitement of being back in the field. “Ah, Alexander, you know I don’t understand any of those things, and I much prefer these here, which don’t need electricity or anything like that.”
He was a 65-year-old man, with white hair and a dense beard that gave him a wise look. His blue eyes gleamed with a passion for archaeology that was contagious, and his experience was unparalleled. It was an honor and a privilege to work alongside him, even if his suitcases full of antiquated books seemed somewhat anachronistic.
“Now,” he continued, “we need to find this Dr…. Kamal, Yunet Kamal. Let’s see if we can find him.”
Unfortunately, we had no signal, and we began to look around, clearly indicating that we were searching for someone. A young woman approached us, wearing a headscarf and a khaki shirt.
“Ah, Dr. Renswor, I presume,” she said, extending her hand in greeting. “And this must be Dr. Alexander Hayes, the new team member, hm? Welcome to Al-Nagah!”
“Yes, that’s me,” Dr. Renswor said, tipping his hat. “And you are…”
She smiled gently before responding. “I am Yunet Kamal, chief archaeologist of this expedition. I’m glad to finally meet you in person, Dr. Renswor. I hope your journey was pleasant.”
“Dr. Kamal? I thought you were a man,” Dr. Renswor corrected himself. “Of course, not that it’s a problem.”
Yunet laughed, a soft sound that contrasted with the aridity of the desert around us. “A common mistake,” she said, her voice filled with calmness and confidence. “But let me assure you that I am as, or even more, competent than any man on this team.”
“Of course, of course,” Dr. Renswor replied, looking somewhat embarrassed. “I never doubted that, my dear. Now, let’s prepare for the journey ahead.” His embarrassment was palpable.
Yunet led us to the waiting car, and as the driver guided us to the field, she explained a bit about the place and the progress so far:
“We have found some interesting inscriptions and artifacts in recent excavations,” she explained, as the hot desert wind blew through the semi-open windows of the vehicle. “We believe it dates back to the Atótic dynasty, but we haven’t made any significant discoveries yet. We hope your arrival changes that.”
As we watched the undulating dunes stretch as far as the eye could see, my mind filled with anticipation. Finally, I was about to dive headfirst into the world of field archaeology, working side by side with some of the best experts in the world. We arrived at the base camp as night fell, a collection of tents and temporary structures set up among the dark rocks. In the light of torches and lanterns, I saw the silhouettes of other team members moving around the crackling fire, their faces marked by fatigue and excitement.
After setting up our own tents and sharing a simple meal, we gathered around the fire to discuss plans for the next few days. Dr. Renswor and Dr. Kamal led the conversation, sharing maps and sketches of the planned excavation sites. As I listened intently, my heart pounded with excitement at finally being here, but a sense of unease began to settle in my mind as I looked at the map. A troubling thought started to form in my mind: something wasn’t right in Al-Nagah.
“Alex,” Kamal called out to me, snapping me out of this ominous trance. “What do you think about starting here?” she asked, pointing to one of the grid squares marked on the map.
“Sure, sounds great to me,” I replied. I didn’t really have a preference; just getting to work there was enough for me.
“Perfect, we’ll go there together, you, me, the doctor here, and my student Ibin Hamoudh. I believe you’ll get along well; he also got into this field because of Indiana Jones,” she said with a chuckle.
I felt my skin flush with embarrassment. “Of course, I believe so,” I replied with a polite smile.
Shortly after, we prepared to sleep. With the surreal night sky overhead, none of us imagined ourselves inside the tents. Instead, we slept right there. However, something left me uneasy. The torchlight cast distorted shadows on the surrounding arid rocks, and the wind seemed to whisper as it carried desert dust through the night. The silence was oppressive, interrupted only by the occasional rustle of a nocturnal animal or the distant murmur of the night.
Despite the weariness of the journey, I struggled to find sleep. My mind was filled with tumultuous thoughts, not just from the discomfort of the desert night, but from anxiety and excitement for the next day. Finally, sleep overcame me, and I sank into it. The next morning, as the sun rose over the desert’s golden horizon, I finally got up. My colleagues were already prepared, tying their belongings to the back of the jeep. Shortly after, we set off towards the designated excavation site. The hot air cut through our skin as we drove through the rugged terrain.
As we approached the site, the landscape gradually changed from endless sand dunes to a more rocky and harsh area. Finally, the jeep stopped in a clearing between the rocks, and we got out to begin our work. The area was filled with archaeological promises, with ancient ruins scattered around and traces of a lost civilization lurking beneath the earth’s surface. Yunet led us through the uneven terrain, pointing out areas of interest and discussing our excavation methods.
“Let’s start by removing the superficial layer of soil and rocks,” she explained, her voice echoing in the dry air. “We’ll focus on this area here, where we found some inscriptions and pottery fragments.”
“Let me help the newbie,” a voice sounded behind us.
It was Ibin Hamoudh, Dr. Kamal’s student, a young man with a vigorous appearance and eyes full of enthusiasm. His tanned skin matched his wavy black hair. He approached with a friendly smile, extending his hand to me.
“Hi, I’m Ibin, nice to meet you,” he said with a nod.
“Alexander Hayes. Alright, let’s get started,” I replied, shaking his hand firmly.
We quickly wielded shovels and brushes as we carefully removed the soil and rocks covering what lay buried there. As we dug deeper, artifacts began to emerge from the depths, each one a piece of the past puzzle. Hours passed as we worked under the desert’s scorching sun. Sweat dripped down our faces, our hands became rough with constant effort. However, tiredness was quickly replaced by excitement as we made increasingly significant discoveries.
We found fragments of painted pottery, hieroglyphic inscriptions carved in stone, and even a partially intact statue depicting an ancient king adorned with symbols hitherto unknown to us, even though I had some knowledge of hieroglyphs. Here’s a transcription: “𒊩𒆳𒋀𒀀𒋀 𒊩𒆳𒋀𒀀𒋀 𒄑𒆷𒆠 𒄑𒆷𒆠 𒄑𒆷𒆠𒆠 𒊕𒀀𒀀𒊑”. I held the statue intrigued when Dr. approached me with a fascinated expression on his face.
“This is amazing,” he murmured, looking at the statue with admiration. “These symbols… they’re not hieroglyphs. It seems to be a form of ancient writing, but I can’t decipher its meaning.”
Yunet approached to examine the statue as well, her eyes shining with interest. “This is cuneiform writing,” she agreed. “It seems we’re dealing with something much older than we expected. I can translate it, but I need some things back at the camp.”
We agreed to retreat for a while, leaving the rest of the team at the excavation site as we carried our findings back to the camp. As we walked back, a strange feeling of unease began to settle in me. I looked around, watching the elongated shadows of the rocks and the undulating sand dunes in the distance. That cliché feeling of being watched, as if something were lurking in the shadows, began to envelop me. However, I suppressed these thoughts, attributing them to sunstroke.
Back at the camp, we carefully deposited our findings into a tent designated for temporary storage. While Yunet and Dr. Renswor animatedly discussed the next steps, I found myself drawn outside the tent, to the quietness of the surrounding desert. The sunlight slowly dimmed, painting the sky with golden and orange hues as dusk approached.
I walked towards a nearby rock formation, an ancient structure rising like a silent monument to bygone eras. I climbed the rugged rocks, feeling the rough texture beneath my fingers as I distanced myself from the camp. As I looked out over the vast desert before me, a sense of insignificance engulfed me, making me feel like a grain of sand in an ocean of time and space. It was then that I heard the sound. It was a soft, almost inaudible murmur, as if the wind were whispering long-lost secrets. I looked around, searching for the source of the sound, but all I saw was the desert stretching out as far as the eye could see. However, the murmur persisted, growing in intensity as dusk deepened.
Suddenly, a hand touched my shoulder, making me jump backward. It was Ibin, standing there with a concerned expression on his face.
“Are you alright, Hayes?” he asked, his dark eyes scrutinizing me carefully.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the lingering sense of unease. “Yes, just got a bit distracted,” I replied, forcing a smile.
He looked at me for a moment, as if about to say something, but then averted his gaze, seeming uncomfortable.
“We’d better head back to camp; it’s common to feel confused and disoriented in the desert,” he suggested, abruptly changing the subject. “Dr. Kamal is probably waiting for…” He stopped, his eyes fixing on something behind me.
I turned to see what had caught his attention and found a shadowy figure moving among the rocks, distant enough for its contours to be indistinct but close enough to send shivers down my spine. A chill ran through my body, even in the stifling heat of the desert, and a shiver ran down my spine.
“Did you see that?” I asked Ibin, my voice a nervous whisper.
He frowned, following my gaze to where the figure had disappeared. “I didn’t see anything,” he replied, his expression tense. “It must have been just an illusion.”
I tried to convince myself that he was right, that my mind was playing tricks on me due to the heat and exhaustion. But still, the feeling that something was amiss persisted, like a dark shadow creeping through the corners of my mind.
I shook my head, pushing aside the disturbing thoughts. “You’re right, let’s head back to camp,” I agreed, feeling a sudden urgency to leave that place.
We arrived at the camp along with the last rays of sunlight. In the distance, we could see the caravan of the other excavators’ cars arriving, and we could hear Dr. Kamal and Dr. Renswor’s excited voices from inside the tent. As we approached, the tension I had felt earlier began to dissipate, replaced by the familiar buzz of the team gathered around the fire. The aroma of freshly prepared food wafted through the air as we neared the main tents.
Inside the tent, Dr. Kamal and Dr. Renswor were animatedly discussing the day’s discoveries, with maps and artifacts spread out on the table. They looked up as we entered, warm smiles forming on their faces.
“Ah, Hayes, Ibin, good to see you back,” greeted Dr. Renswor, his voice echoing in the tent. “We’ve deciphered the writing on the statue,” he said, sounding not like a gentleman but
like a five-year-old child. I had never seen him so excited.
Curious to know more, I approached the table, my heart beating with anticipation. Yunet stood up, holding a piece of paper with a translation written in ancient characters.
“Here it is,” she said, handing me the paper. “It seems that this statue depicts King Neferefre, from the 5th Dynasty. The inscriptions describe some sort of curse in his name.”
My eyes widened in surprise at the revelation. “Neferefre… I’ve never heard of him,” I murmured, mentally flipping through the pages of my Egyptian history book.
“The 5th Dynasty is often overshadowed by more prominent figures like Khufu and Khafre,” the Doctor explained, looking pleased with their discovery. “But Neferefre was an important ruler in his own right. This statue proves that there indeed was a pharaoh by that name; it’s quite an achievement, considering we only had records of him from secondary and tertiary sources.”
As I absorbed this new information, a sense of accomplishment and excitement began to spread within me. We were making history! I thought about how lucky I was to witness something like this on my first expedition.
“A curse, you say?” Ibin spoke up. His voice was serious, his demeanor not matching the excitement of the others.
Yunet nodded. “Yes, it seems to warn of something. An approximate translation would be ‘The face of the pharaoh brought sand smelling of blood,’ or something similar. It’s a common theme in archaeology, but until now, we had never encountered such an explicit inscription.”
Dr. Renswor interjected, his voice tinged with enthusiasm. “This is fascinating! Imagine the research possibilities this opens up. We can learn more about the beliefs and funerary practices of the ancient Egyptians, as well as explore the potential cultural impact of such habits.”
I don’t know why, but the image of the silhouette from earlier came to my mind.
“We should continue our excavations tomorrow,” suggested Yunet, breaking the silence. “There’s much more to discover about King Neferefre and his dynasty. And who knows what else we may find buried in the depths of Al-Nagah.”
As the night wore on and we gathered around the crackling fire, sharing stories and laughter, my mind was occupied with dark thoughts and unsettling doubts. What else could we find in this remote place? And what ancient secrets lay buried beneath the desert sands?
I fell asleep more peacefully this time, without much trouble. However, even before the sun shone in the sky, we were awakened by a piercing scream that cut through the predawn air. Jumping up, I slipped on my sandals, ready to rush out, when, before I could cross the doorway, I felt a hand cover my mouth. A cold panic ran through my body until I realized it was Ibin, his expression carved in stone. I removed his hand.
“You know, you could just call my name; is it your custom to grab others like that?”
“Shh, don’t make noise,” he whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
The scream echoed again.
“What the hell is that?” I whispered.
“I don’t know… or maybe you won’t believe me if I tell you…”
This made me more curious, and I simply signaled for him to continue.
“I saw that shadow earlier today… I think we’re being followed,” he paused, looking around “By a Djinn.”
I looked at him confused.
Ibin nodded gravely, his dark eyes reflecting the fear I also felt. “I know it may sound crazy, but… I saw something out there. A shadow moving among the rocks. And now, this scream…” His voice faltered, and I could see the tension in his shoulders, the fear he struggled to hide.
“It could just be an animal, or maybe a person following us?”
He shook his head, his dark eyes fixed on mine. “No, it’s not that. I know what I saw, and I know we’re not alone here. Something is watching us, following us since we arrived.”
The tension was cut with Dr. Kamal’s arrival into the tent.
“Seriously, Ibin? Djinn?” She said raising an eyebrow “Come on, I came to see if you guys were okay, we’re doing a headcount at the bonfire.”
I didn’t want to appear foolish in front of Dr. Kamal, nor did I want to indulge in any superstition. So, I followed Ibin and Yunet to the bonfire, trying to keep a neutral expression on my face.
As we gathered around the crackling fire, I could feel the comforting warmth against my skin, but the tension lingered in the air. As the headcount was completed and everyone confirmed their presence, I couldn’t help but notice the nervous glances and whispers spreading among the team.
“77… 78… 79… 80!” Dr. Renswor finished aloud. “Okay, everyone’s here, I guess it’s all good,” he cleared his throat, “Now, don’t let yourselves be scared by this, alright? In my day, this place was full of coyotes and foxes, and that’s the noise we heard. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my sweet dreams,” he said, walking back to his tent.
“It was just the headcount,” Yunet continued, “You can go now, and keep an eye out, it might be some dangerous animal.”
I lay in my sleeping bag, the silence of the night enveloping me like a dark cloak. But no matter how hard I tried to calm my restless mind, the memory of the piercing scream echoing through the predawn darkness continued to haunt me. Eventually, exhaustion and the desert heat began to weigh on me, and I fell into a fitful sleep, filled with disturbing dreams and shadowy images twisting before my closed eyes.
When I finally woke up to the first rays of sun bathing the desert, I felt more tired than when I had gone to sleep. Ibin was getting ready, putting on his clothes.
“Hey, man…” I said, “I’m not feeling too good; I think I’ll catch up with you guys later, maybe join the 10 a.m. expedition?”
“I don’t think there’s a problem; I’ll let the others know,” he said, leaving.
I went back to sleep until I was awakened by someone entering my tent. I was dizzy, so I didn’t turn around, just murmured.
“Hey Doc, I’m not feeling well today, didn’t Ibin tell you I’ll join later?”
There was no immediate response, just a unsettling silence that seemed to drag on for an eternity.
“Doc?”
Slowly, I turned to face whoever was inside the tent, but my eyes widened in surprise to realize that it wasn’t Dr. Renswor standing there before me. Instead, I was met with a tall, sturdy figure dressed in a black cloak. Their face was obscured by a hood, making it impossible to discern their features. A shiver of fear ran down my spine, and my mind was filled with a sense of pure terror.
“Who are you?” my voice came out as a trembling whisper, barely audible even to my own ears.
The figure didn’t respond immediately, remaining still like a statue at the tent entrance. Then, slowly, they reached into their robe and withdrew, making a curved knife tinkle. My heart raced at the glimpse of the gleaming blade. Should I call for help? Or would it be better to try to escape as quickly as possible? I didn’t have time to ponder. The figure advanced towards me, the tip of their weapon aimed at my chest. I don’t know where I found the strength, but I managed to grab their hand trying to descend upon my flesh. I could see, now closer, that their phalanges displayed strange tattoos, symbols that I had no idea about, perhaps deities? I’m not sure. Their hoarse voice uttered unknown words, only serving to make me even more terrified.
With a desperate effort, I pushed the figure back, throwing myself out of the tent. My feet touched the sandy desert floor, and I ran as fast as I could, every fiber of my being screaming with terror. My lungs burned with effort, and the scorching heat of the sun beat down on my exposed skin as I ran towards another tent desperately seeking safety. I heard footsteps approaching behind me.
Desperation propelled me forward, my mind spinning with thoughts of survival. I needed to alert the team, ask for help, anything to escape the danger that relentlessly pursued me. My legs burned with exhaustion, but I kept running, ignoring the pain and fatigue threatening to knock me down with every step.
Finally, I reached the tent where the team was gathered, my breath ragged, and my heart pounding uncontrollably. I entered the tent, wide-eyed with terror, and shouted as loud as I could, trying to alert my colleagues to the imminent danger surrounding us. They rushed to my tent but found no trace, only the knife, dropped when I pushed him. I recounted my story to them. Some seemed concerned, murmuring; others sounded skeptical, even suggesting that I was suffering from some desert fever, but I knew what I saw, and the weapon used was there.
“Alright, everyone calm down,” said Baratha, the leader of the other shift’s expedition, another renowned doctor. “We’ll take you to the others, talk about this, and sort it out, but don’t worry, we’ll put some people on guard in your tent, okay?”
I agreed. My throat dry and scratchy after the screams. I went with them to Al-Nagah, the sun frying the path ahead of us as the engine roared. Up ahead, however, we saw a small commotion. People clustered around something we couldn’t see from the car. I got off the vehicle, heading towards the crowd, where Yunet contained the mob.
She signaled for us to approach. As we moved through the crowd, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. What could have caused this commotion? As we approached, I heard anxious murmurs and shocked exclamations echoing through the crowd.
Finally, we managed to infiltrate the throng of people, and what I saw before me left me speechless. I felt a small shock as a thread of dread ran through my body. What lay before us was a corpse, pale, skeletal, lying on the ground, its skin dirty with sand. As my eyes scanned the body, I shivered in front of it, seeing the symbol resting on its chest: One of the symbols of the invader’s hand…
“Where…” I said, my voice almost not coming out “where did you find this?”
“In one of the excavations,” the Doctor said solemnly, “But there’s a problem… It’s a fresh corpse.”
The revelation cut through the air like a sharp blade, leaving us all in silence. A “fresh corpse”? Murmurs began to spread through the crowd, worried and scared looks reflected on the faces of my colleagues. As Ibin performed his prayers silently, I knew that something sinister was happening in Al-Nagah, the sun now punishing the flesh beneath it, and as the dry wind blew the tiny grains stuck on the corpse, I think we finally smelled the sands with the scent of blood coming for us.
.
.
.
[Part 2]