Motel of the MysteriesMotel of the Mysteries

By David MacCaulay

Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1979.

On the morning of November 29, On the morning of November 29, an accidental reduction in postal an accidental reduction in postal

rates on a substance called rates on a substance called third- and fourth-class mail third- and fourth-class mail

literally buried the North literally buried the North Americans under tons of Americans under tons of

brochures, fliers, and small brochures, fliers, and small containers called containers called FREEFREE..

That afternoon, impurities that That afternoon, impurities that had apparently hung unnoticed in had apparently hung unnoticed in

the air for centuries finally the air for centuries finally succumbed to the force of gravity succumbed to the force of gravity and collapsed on what was left of and collapsed on what was left of an already stunned population.an already stunned population.

In less than a day, the most In less than a day, the most advanced civilization of the advanced civilization of the ancient world had perished.ancient world had perished.

In spite of the number of In spite of the number of significant clues, however, the significant clues, however, the

picture of these fascinating picture of these fascinating people remained disturbingly people remained disturbingly

incomplete until forty years ago, incomplete until forty years ago, when word leaked out of Howard when word leaked out of Howard

Carson’s startling discovery at Carson’s startling discovery at the Motel of the Mysteries.the Motel of the Mysteries.

The DiscoveryThe Discovery

““[Howard Carson] [Howard Carson] found himself at found himself at the bottom of an the bottom of an ancient shaft, ancient shaft, facing the entrance facing the entrance of a long-forgotten of a long-forgotten tomb.” (p. 22)tomb.” (p. 22)

The Tomb DoorThe Tomb Door#21 –#21 – “Gleaming Sacred “Gleaming Sacred Seal”Seal”

#28 –#28 – “The Sacred Eye” “The Sacred Eye”

#18 –#18 – “The Plant That “The Plant That Would Not Die”Would Not Die”

#19-20 –#19-20 – “Sacrificial “Sacrificial Meat Offering Meat Offering Containers”Containers”

Diagram of the TombDiagram of the Tomb

#1#1 – Great Altar – Great Altar

#5#5 – Ceremonial – Ceremonial PlatformPlatform

#3#3 – Sacred – Sacred CommunicatorCommunicator

#2#2 – Ceremonial – Ceremonial Chest PlateChest Plate

#9#9 – Liquid Offerings to the Gods – Liquid Offerings to the Gods

#13#13 – Statue of the deity WATT – Statue of the deity WATT

#14#14 – Internal Component Enclosure – Internal Component Enclosure (I.C.E.)(I.C.E.)

The Great AltarThe Great AltarThis magnificent This magnificent structure, toward which structure, toward which everything in the outer everything in the outer chamber was directed, chamber was directed, represents the essence represents the essence of religious of religious communication as communication as practiced by the ancient practiced by the ancient North Americans. North Americans. Although it was capable Although it was capable of communication with a of communication with a large number of gods, large number of gods, the alter seems to have the alter seems to have been intended primarily been intended primarily for communion with the for communion with the gods MOVIEA and gods MOVIEA and MOVIEB.MOVIEB.

The Great AltarThe Great AltarJudging by impact Judging by impact marks on the top and marks on the top and sides of the upper altar, sides of the upper altar, some aspect of some aspect of communication was communication was dependent upon dependent upon pounding on the pounding on the surface. surface.

Communication with the Communication with the altar was symbolically altar was symbolically continued into eternal continued into eternal life by placing the life by placing the communicator box in the communicator box in the hand of the deceased.hand of the deceased.

The Inner ChamberThe Inner Chamber

#8#8 – Ceremonial – Ceremonial headdressheaddress

#9#9 –Sarcophagus –Sarcophagus

#10#10 – Translucent – Translucent Burial CurtainBurial Curtain

#2#2 – Sacred Urn – Sacred Urn

#5#5 – Sacred Parchment – Sacred Parchment

Ceremonial Head DressCeremonial Head Dress

““Extraordinary Extraordinary headdress, made headdress, made especially for the especially for the deceased, stands to deceased, stands to this day as an this day as an unparalleled example unparalleled example of flexible plasticus of flexible plasticus workmanship. Each workmanship. Each colored disc was colored disc was applied by hand, and applied by hand, and together they form a together they form a pattern so complex pattern so complex that a full that a full interpretation of the interpretation of the arrangement arrangement continues to elude continues to elude scholars.”scholars.”

The Sacred PendantThe Sacred PendantThis exquisite piece of This exquisite piece of jewelry was found lodged in jewelry was found lodged in the silver-rimmed hole in the the silver-rimmed hole in the floor of the sarcophagus, floor of the sarcophagus, where it had apparently been where it had apparently been dropped. The beautiful dropped. The beautiful pendant was carved out of pendant was carved out of rubber (now petrified) and rubber (now petrified) and has been inscribed with the has been inscribed with the markings 1 ½. It is markings 1 ½. It is connected most delicately by connected most delicately by a silver ring to a beautifully a silver ring to a beautifully formed silver chain. The formed silver chain. The symbolic derivation of the symbolic derivation of the pendant’s form has yet to be pendant’s form has yet to be determined. determined.

The Sacred UrnThe Sacred Urn

This most holy of relics was This most holy of relics was discovered in the Inner discovered in the Inner Chamber. It was carved Chamber. It was carved from a single piece of from a single piece of porcelain and then highly porcelain and then highly polished. The Urn was the polished. The Urn was the focal point of the burial focal point of the burial ceremony. The ranking ceremony. The ranking celebrant, kneeling before celebrant, kneeling before the Urn, would chant into it the Urn, would chant into it while water from the sacred while water from the sacred spring flowed in to mix with spring flowed in to mix with sheets of Sacred Parchment.sheets of Sacred Parchment.

The Sacred CollarThe Sacred CollarThis article was worn by the This article was worn by the ranking celebrant at the final ranking celebrant at the final burial ceremony. It is made of burial ceremony. It is made of the highest quality plasticus, the highest quality plasticus, and the workmanship is and the workmanship is unequaled. Experts date this unequaled. Experts date this collar at A.D. 1979, making it collar at A.D. 1979, making it one of the earliest collars ever one of the earliest collars ever found. The two hemispherical found. The two hemispherical projections on the solid projections on the solid portion of the collar were portion of the collar were apparently merely decorative. apparently merely decorative. The two spiral connectors The two spiral connectors shown were used to secure shown were used to secure the collar to the Urn after the the collar to the Urn after the ceremony.ceremony.

The Sacred The Sacred AspergillumAspergillum

This beautifully crafted This beautifully crafted instrument was formed entirely instrument was formed entirely of plasticus. Once it had been of plasticus. Once it had been dipped into the water of the dipped into the water of the Sacred Urn it was shaken over Sacred Urn it was shaken over the deceased and, in fact, over the deceased and, in fact, over the entire chamber. This the entire chamber. This represented the symbolic represented the symbolic cleansing of the eternal home.cleansing of the eternal home.

IInternal nternal CComponent omponent EEnclosurenclosure

This exquisitely fashioned This exquisitely fashioned container, a twentieth-container, a twentieth-century adaptation of the century adaptation of the ancient Canopic jar, stood ancient Canopic jar, stood on a specially designed on a specially designed table in the outer chamber. table in the outer chamber. Since no trace of an Since no trace of an internal organ was found internal organ was found in the ICE its function as a in the ICE its function as a Canopic jar is considered Canopic jar is considered to be merely symbolic.to be merely symbolic.

The Sacred PointThe Sacred Point

Very little is actually known Very little is actually known about the origin of the Sacred about the origin of the Sacred Points except that they are Points except that they are very rare and were only ever very rare and were only ever found on the ends of sacred found on the ends of sacred parchment scrolls. Carson parchment scrolls. Carson believed that they simply believed that they simply pointed the way to eternal life.pointed the way to eternal life.