If you have ever seen any of the Indiana Jones movies, you surely know that archaeology is not only dangerous, but also exciting, enthralling, and generally exhilarating.
That's not quite the case with the practice of real archaeology, but at 5W!ts Boston's new "Tomb" attraction, anyone can be Indy for a day, or at least for 40
minutes.
With a little less danger and a lot more puzzle solving, 5W!ts bills itself as the "premier exhibitor of interactive, physically-immersive, walk-through adventure
experiences."
And physically-immersive it is. "Tomb" - the first Boston show for the Fenway-based company - plunges its participants into a small and romanticized but relatively accurate Egyptian tomb, constructed within the 5W!ts building on Brookline Ave.
The attraction itself is a bit like a cross between a special effects-laden amusement park ride and an interactive video game. Visitors must solve puzzles and complete tasks in order to successfully make it all the way through to their adventure's end.
As the "volunteer archaeologists" wait their turn in the attraction's lounge and caf?©, they are affronted with ominous threats from a man we later find to be Pharaoh, who threatens "terrible concequences" should anyone set foot inside his tomb.
Not to fear, as the group enters armed with some heavy duty flashlights, so things are not so bad when the tomb door slides shut unexpectedly.
Then the adventurers happen upon the skeleton of a professor who went missing a decade before in the tomb. Crap.
Then the flashlights go out. Double crap.
Here is where the cool effects come in. Pharaoh appears and again, threatens "terrible consequences" should the adventurers not complete the tasks he sets before them.
The first room requires the "eyes of a falcon, the courage of a lion, the ears of a fox, and the strength of an ox." (Imagine all that in the booming, scary voice that only a pharaoh projected on a waterfall in a fake tomb could have.)
Each group is led by a guide, whose job it is to lead the team through the tomb and to play the part of the terrified archaeologist trapped in a dark crypt. Guides also assist the less puzzle-inclined in solving Pharaoh's riddles.
As participants pass through the rooms of the tomb, the puzzles increase in difficulty. The quest culminates in Pharaoh's burial chamber, where he quickly switches from threatening death to desperately seeking help.
And success is by no means guaranteed. The path through the tomb is heavily laced with traps and threats set up by Pharaoh. Should the adventurers fail, they will suffer the fate of the professor seen in the first chamber. Groups who fail to solve puzzles or take too long to complete them are forced to exit the tomb without making it to the burial chamber.
Participants are brought into the tomb in groups of 15, although larger groups can be accommodated. It might be worth it to bring a large enough group to enter without any strangers. The puzzles take a lot of teamwork and tensions run high as the pharaoh threatens certain death should the group fail.
"Tomb was such a great experience, but one you'd definitely want to have with a big group of friends," Tufts sophomore Heather Roughton said. "The puzzles you have to solve need a lot of teamwork and so it's definitely better to be with people who you don't mind ordering around if the need be."
The special effects range from the excellent to the slightly cheesy. For the most part, it is a well-coordinated and challenging experience. As long as you don't expect Hollywood special effects, you will not be disappointed. Unless, of course, if you fail.
Archaeologists and classics students will love "Tomb," as long as they don't expect total accuracy. It is by no means a perfect representation of real tombs, but 5W!ts' tomb does quote some actual archaeological contexts. The statue in the tomb entrance looks a lot like a gneiss statue of Khafre, and the ceiling in the burial chamber is painted like that of many real tombs, including that of Nefertari, among others.
"I could tell that the tomb itself was really well researched, even if at times you felt like you were in an Indiana Jones movie," Roughton said.
Shows begin every 15 minutes during peak times and every 30 minutes on weekends. "Tomb" is open everyday except for Tuesday. Open until midnight on weekends, "Tomb" is a great stop before hitting the bars or restaurants around Fenway and Boylston.
After all, with a little willful suspension of disbelief and a lot of brainpower, anyone can be Indy. Don't expect to be chased through a cave by a boulder four times your size, but do get ready for some surprises.
