Angel Bones: Spec-fic

[penthius]

She found the bones on the second month of the dig, when they were deep down past what any other archaeologists had gone through before. When she straightened her back to take a break and look up at the sky, it was a small circle of blue high above her. Spiraling ramps of compacted earth led back up. She found the bones and felt a real stir of excitement. They were the first non-dinosaur, non-identifiable bones that they'd seen so far. As soon as she ran one finger along their edge and heard a faint whisper of bells, as soon as she lifted a tiny separate bone out of the ground and held it to the light and saw how it gleamed like polished pearl, she knew she'd found something special. She didn't, however, expect that the UFO fanciers would declare them alien bones and the religious fundies would declare them angel bones.

Inspiration: Listening to...MPR Science Friday, I think. Or the Scientific American podcast. They were talking about Darwin with an archaeologist.
Story Potential: High.
Notes: Use darwin quote about crust of the earth. And it's important to leave the actual origins of the bones undeclared, I think. Play it both ways.

Comments

[burningbible.livejournal.com]

As someone who's pretty familiar with fundamentalist Christianity, it seems strange to me that Christians, at least, would think they were angel bones, since the assumed doctrine is usually that angels are purely spiritual. But I wouldn't put it past them, either, people have definitely suggested wierder things (after all, a lot of fundamentalists have an obsession with "evidence", and they could always find *something* in the Bible to corroborate). Just a thought :)

[penthius.livejournal.com]

Hmm, good point. Make it religious "fringies" instead!

[prof-vencire.livejournal.com]

It doesn't even have to be "fringies". People who believe often WANT to believe. If you were Catholic and found out that someone had found glowing bones that sound like ringing bells... wouldn't you shift the part of your beliefs that are a bit more abstract-philosophical and less emphasized in sermons? Particularly if the pay-off was having something that was Proof? Religions often emphasize faith without evidence, but everyone WANTS evidence (as long as it doesn't contradict them).

[penthius.livejournal.com]

Yes, but their reaction would be different. They would hope...but be ashamed of hoping and not having pure faith. In many ways, a more interesting reaction.

[prof-vencire.livejournal.com]

There's a huge sub-faith in Angels that is only vaguely related to Christianity. And is sort of vague and easily integrates crap. Opportunistic superstitious spiritualism. People with angel icons and altars for Elvis.

[penthius.livejournal.com]

That's right...I've seen the catalogs. Horrifying velvet paintings and ceramic sculptures.