Curse Cast in Stone
The colossal tombs of civilisation and the enigma within...

Standing alone, dwarfed amid the seemingly endless stretch of barren land with huge creaky tombs of all dead, buried in all preparatory paraphernalia - in the hope of those waking up to life any time, and 'any time' implies even the moment I stand, numb and petrified, in the ancient 'valley of kings' on the western bank of the rasping river Nile. The echo of drilling and hammering bestirred me close and as I walked towards it, looking around at the marked tombs, I saddened at the once poshand-formidable pharaohs now reduced to serial numbers. At the site, later named KV62, I abutted English Archaeologist Howard Carter, observing him break the seal of the doorway of the recently revealed chamber of King Tutankhamen.

As the hammer repeatedly struck down on the doorway, there was hope beaming in his eyes, waiting for the blow that would lay bare the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen to vindicate his years of rummage even while the others were spirited at the thought of the revelation of the whats and hows of history afore their eyes. And when coup de grace occurred, there revealed finely preserved exquisite gilded objects unmarred by those thousands of years of floods and erosion, as all present stepped in the burial chamber with decorated walls. After those years of labour, the gratifying contented twinkle in Howard's eyes was evident as he laid hands on the Boy King's funerary mask, watching the uncovering of the linen of the creepy mummy, taking the precious stones studded gold diadem off its head.

But celebrations gave way to mourning a few months later in 1923, when the much-heard-of, though lessseen-legend of the 'curse of pharaohs' followed, when majority of those who spectacled the royal king's unwrapping fell to death one by one. And the first to fall was the man behind funding the excavation, Lord Carnarvon, who unknowingly shaved a mosquito bite off his face causing blood poisoning and pneumonia leading to immediate death. Many call it a bad omen setting in for violating the grave of the pharaoh, where hieroglyphics had warned - "Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the King". But pragmatists impute it to immune systems that gave in to the pathogens (Staphylococcus and histoplasmosis) present in the tomb. Carnarvon was known for frail health but George Jay Gould wasn't.

The poor visitor wasn't spared the fate, who died a month later from his excursion to the tomb. But confounding the curse was the fact of Howard Carter's final goodbye not until after sixteen more years. The mystical wind around the pyramids of Egypt doesn't stop whistling here. The construction of the giant polyhedrons, each stone of which weighs close to 2500 kilograms, placed at heights greater than hundred metres is another intriguing facet leading to lots of schools of thought. Some take cues from Herodotus's accounts by imagining usage of long levers or construction of straight or long spiral ramps for carrying stones though no archaeological evidences are available of the same.

A disbelief in the ancient Egypt's mathematical understanding of 'Pi', 'E' and perfect angles of the slope which have actually been used in the construction of pyramids, denial of the unusually flat surface of Khafre's sarcophagus' lid as a marvel of mankind's chisel and hammer, placing up a 2.5 ton stone every 2minutes for twenty years and many more stunners have even given way to theories trying to prove intervention of aliens for creation of the earth's wonder that, despite controversy, remains incontrovertibly an awe-inspiring structure. Bewildered I stand, looking at the undeterred (for 5000 years) Sphinx on the Giza Plateau, where the sun rays fall directly on its face highlighting its features, pondering, what the stone carved witness wants to tell - a story of revelation of another world waiting to be explored, or just a tale of struggle of who lives longer in the life after death.

Ford Model T

Oct 1, 1908, Detroit: Today the first Model T Ford, which was two years in design, has finally been unveiled by Henry Ford Motor Company to the public. Put together at the Piquette Avenue Plant here, the assembly line manufacturing approach will allow Ford to mass produce the vehicle available at an affordable price of $850, where the existing hand built cars cost an incredible $5000. This passenger touring car has an astounding engine that can pump in up to 20 horsepower and is built with special vanadium steel alloy. The gentleman behind it, Henry Ford, has only studied till 6th grade, but already envisions great plans for his just 5 year old company. And with ideas like these, the common man can but hope for more.

Bell's Televison

April 7, 1927, New York City: In a miraculous display of the power of science, Bell Telephone Laboratories today gave USA its first demonstration of the television. Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover, spoke into the telephone in Washington D.C. and was heard and seen at the same time here in Bell's company premises. The images shown, at times faded into the background leaving Hoover's ear or just a pair of eyebrows visible. It looked like a postcard, only it had magically come to life. The device works by "placidly scanning" the telephone user with three great "photoelectric eyes" and then sends it over the wire as wavelengths. Regardless of the complexity involved, the television has been envisaged to play an important role "in the world's work of distant communication".

Pocket Watch

1881, New York: Ingresoll is taking the pocket watch industry by storm. It is offering pocket watches for an astonishing $1 through a New York mail-order. These 'Dollar Watches' that are being retailed "as every boy should have one, as soon he can tell time" have unmistakably gone beyond people's expectations. The watch, which was invented as the Numberg egg by Peter Henlein in 1505, has till now remained the privilege of the rich and famous. The recent model, though unlike its predecessors, will not have any jewels to decorate but it shall allow the makers to mass produce the timepiece. Robert & Charles Ingersoll insist that no gentleman can be denied the prestige that comes from owning a watch and, therefore, foretell an unprecedented success.

Bell Telephone

Jan 28, 1878, New Haven, Connecticut: Two years ago on March 10 these words "Mr. Watson I want you; come here" were immortalised by Alexander Graham Bell - the inventor of the telephone (an electronic speech machine). Now with over 3000 telephones installed and 21 subscribers, the much ridiculed "scientific play toy" has reached maturity. Bell Telephone Company has today opened the first public exchange and will lease the telephone lines and not sell them, thus guaranteeing quality. The only thing that can topple the company is the Western Union whose telegraph wires cover 100,000 miles in route; they also threaten to infringe upon Bell's legal patent. The only way Bell Telephone Company can survive is for a confrontational legal battle. Till then, Bell can just hope that cash registers keep on ringing.