Archeology for Dummies

 This summer  while on a visit to his grandmother’s place, Nachikaet decided that it was time that he had a new ‘passion’ in life. After deciding against breeding gold fishes (too labor intensive) and cooking ‘gourmet meals’ (being banished from the kitchen by my mother’s cook), he decided to take up archeology. He had his ‘eureka’ moment during one of the countless reruns of the Movie, ‘The Mummy’, to which sadly, we are often  subjected to by my husband, whose love for blood, gore and action sometimes surpasses his love for his family.

 Well, Nachikaet decided to unearth the ‘treasures’ that may be hidden in my mother’s backyard. Since any archeologist worth his salt or in this case mud, must have tools for his trade, Nachikaet started to collect the necessary equipment for his ‘dig’. After an hour of scavenger hunt he pronounced himself fit to dig. The ‘tools’ were a spade and a shovel ‘borrowed’ from his cousin’s beach set, a brand new bucket taken from his grandmother’s bath room, also ‘borrowed’; and a person who would actually dig.

Lesson 1: An archeologist only supervises; (well the title does mention its for dummies)

The assistant was my father, the only ‘tool’ which came along willingly.

After spending an entire evening supervising and actually digging; (his assistant proved to be physically unfit for the task and was sent back unceremoniously after being subjected to a lecture on eating well)
Nachikaet decided that whoever occupied his grandmother’s backyard in the ‘early ages’ were decidedly boring. So instead of digging ,he decided to bury something instead. At least the generations after him will not find him boring.

Lesson 2: If an archeologist can dig, he can bury as well.

  The next one hour was spent  in collecting bits of things, which would give future archeologists’ a glimpse into the life of  the ‘not so early man’.  So a bottle was procured; ‘borrowed’ from the above mentioned cook’s larder when he was not looking, and its contents (his treasured home made sambar powder*) was thrown out.  He then filled it with a little note describing himself and his life, a few old toys and other sundry house hold essentials that we ‘not so early men’ use.  Once it was safely buried, began the discussion of the possible future people who would ‘discover’ it and marvel at the life of ‘early Nachkaet’. His latest brainwave is to “bury his ancient parents” next to the previous bottle next time he visits his grandmother.

 

Well at this point, I am hoping he  was referring to a photograph of his 'ancient parents'

Lesson 3: I need to give him a good photograph of myself, before I become even more ‘ancient’
 

*Sambar powder: Sambar is a vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind and pigeon peas and is very popular in the cooking of southern regions of India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Each state in South India prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.

Source:       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish)
 Sambar powder is a dry spice mix used to prepare sambar.