1-MINUTE PROMPT:
You’re tasked with putting together an archaeological dig. Look around; what would be the best spot to excavate archaeological remains? Speculate on what might be found there, whether it’s old gum stuck to the pavement or arrowheads along the river bank.
5-MINUTE PROMPT:
What’s it like to see with new eyes? Find a man-made object nearby. Imagine you’ve just unearthed it in an archaeological dig and it’s the first time you’ve ever seen it. Write about the moment of discovery, how it feels to pull this object out of the earth and hold it in your hands.
10-MINUTE PROMPT:
Pick out two seemingly unrelated objects in your current environment. Imagine that you and another archaeologist have each extracted these objects from your dig site and it’s the first time either of you has ever seen them. Describe these objects at length as you discuss the strange discoveries with your colleague.
20-MINUTE PROMPT:
Take two unrelated objects that are near you and imagine they’re from a culture that’s now extinct. Write a scene where you’re in a museum looking at these objects encased in glass when, suddenly, the room disappears, and you find yourself hundreds or thousands of years in the past. Finish the scene where you curiously observe people from that culture using these two items.