The men huddle around their squat fires, sending ash and ember skyward. Each glowing with a vibrant hue of amber and seemingly adding an ancient age to the faces of its tenders by the work of its warm, lapping distortions. These men, with their traditional cover and clubs, sat encircling their work and above them as if entranced came the outstretched arms of the universe, holding them in its hands. The dusts of the milky way, the constellations of the crux and of centaurus and of scorpius were all here. And just as the flames of the fire’s warmth licked upward, so too were my eyes lethargicly engaged in the heavens – for here was a sight. Here was the universe at my fingers and spilling into all eternity before me. A sky which has remained timeless, and waiting, and wonderful for both early man and myself.
This feeling is much like that of an earlier experience today. I sat in the dust like the opening scenes of Indiana Jones in Cairo (I think that’s where it was), working at a well pedigreed site with the use of ancient hammerstones, chisel, and brush. I passively listened to the banter of men in the words of swahili and heard all around me the cacophony of excavation, the abundance of metallic symphony driving into the barren earth. I first uncovered an ancient stone tool, and later a bone removed from its long forgotten owner. Here they had remained till this day, waiting and wonderful, just for me. This tool of a quartzen make and the bone of a dark complexion, left by man and discovered by his predecessor – what a wonderful feeling it was, there was an overwhelming sense of it! Maybe it was continuity, or dumb luck, maybe a sense of comfort as we returned these artifacts to humanity, as if the remains of a soldier were repatriated to his home. Regardless, I enjoyed it! And others were working on the ribs and pelvis of a Sivatherium, others still the peculiar and unidentified fragments of ancient butchery, and of course others uncovered more and more stone tools. And I mean lots, like I have said, we literally use them as hammers – pounding and cracking away with an ancient tool, to uncover more of the same (Circle of life baby). Rediscovering and remembering, retelling the stories which had passed long ago. Wondering and waiting to know, what was this place? What were we like? Empathetic or good, callous and barbaric? And how to find these answers… well, merely look at your feet, brush away the dust, strike you pick, and finally – ponder.
That’s how it is done, that is how we might memorialize this man before man, the culture and society and consciousness before our own. Just by workin, and let me say – it’s HARD work. I felt like I was a geriatric in a matter of minutes.
Early today we were also taken to the Maasai market, which in short, ended in me being wrapped in a handmade belt and later shakin my junk like a belly dancer for the Maasai people. I did come away with a few brass bracelets and a bunch of beads I mistook for a necklace. Hopefully I am able to find a few more gifts that aren’t “worth” 200,000 shillings and look like they are from 2008 and cause me to shake like busted bottle of pop.
We also finally opened our camera traps this evening! No primates, but plenty of Maasai and their domestics. And of course a few jackals, birds, giraffes way out of frame, and a chupacabra lookin thing. “Alpha leader, there were no bogies sighted of the primate variety. Over.” Overall, it was a great learning experience as I now understand better positioning and parameters to use if I were to repeat this activity. Also we were meant to more thoroughly measure abundance in regards to distance from water, but we mainly just focused on the pleasure of actually capturing photos! We did great and I am proud of what data we collected and wghat we have learned.
Only a few more days in this foreign place now made familiar, I can’t wait to see you all.
Godspeed and with the greatest amount of love,
Mr. Kamden
