The hero's flaw is that he has turned completely inward upon himself. He finds out about his friend's death, for example, because he read the obituary in the newspaper. While they were good friends in college, they exchanged messages perhaps twice in the five years since his friend returned to the town in which the college they both graduated from is located.
The hero is motivated by curiosity and a fascination with ancient things. The first gets him into the story to begin with and the latter keeps him progressing. The story presents a puzzle that fascinates him and calls him to solve it.
I've learned a few more details about the hero, his life before college, bits of it after college. Where he lives and what that place is like. How he feeds a stray cat that hangs around his little shop, but recognizes that he'd be too irresponsible to take it in as his own.