Time Sifters Archaeology Society Newsletter July 2019

JULY-2019 PRESERVATION EDUCATION RESEARCH INSPIRE Dear Member: I’m currently in Cambridge, England enjoying a beautiful summer and visiting some fantastic sites. We have seen the Roman Villa at Lullingstone, the West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village, the Norman castle at Framlingham, the Viking burial mound at Sutton Hoo and miles of great walking trails through the woods and along the coast. If you have not been to East Angela, I would highly recommend it. I hope you are enjoying your summer. We start up again on September 18th when Dr. David Miano will talk to us about “The Great Pyramid of Giza: Separating Fact From Fiction”. Thank you for being a member of Time Sifters. Darwin “Smitty” Smith, President [email protected] Battlefield Archaeology Uncovering Untold Stories Reprinted by permission from the American Battlefield Trust DailyExpress marched, fought, and died. In primarily use sophisticated metal the Civil War, we can locate detectors, and sometimes ground The Importance of Battlefield individual regiments on the field; penetrating radar, to identify any Archaeology in the Revolutionary War, we potential item's location. After Battlefield archaeology is important for struggle to identify which units locating an item, the team carefully any conflict, but even more so for were even present. digs out the item, being careful the Revolutionary War. Unlike the Battlefield archaeology is essential to not to damage or disturb the Civil War, Revolutionary War improving our understanding of potential artifact. Each item is documents such as reports, records, the Revolutionary War. Where dutifully catalogued and identified. and letters, are very scarce. historians see only inexact written Location is critical, so when an Because of this our understanding of references to embattled landscapes, item is uncovered it is placed in a Revolutionary War battles is often archaeologists see treasure troves protective bag, assigned a unique imprecise. of new historical information waiting catalogue number, and a small \"Military science,\" the rigorous, to be discovered. Battlefields are almost bureaucratic approach to covered in martial Continued on page 3 ... warfare that characterized the debris—buttons, Civil War, was in its most nascent cartridges, stages at the time of the Revolutionary bayonets, War. Officers were not systematically shrapnel, and expected to submit after-action more. Even reports or to meticulously map though they are the terrain on which they fought. buried under- Even the most dedicated Revolutionary ground, they War historians are confronted have a story to with deep fields of gray when it tell—one that comes time to reconstruct military has never been maneuvers. Except for exceptional told before. cases, there is simply no written evidence of exactly where men To make their American Battlefield Trust discoveries, archaeologists

Archaeologists You Should Know Yohanon Aharoni Archaeologist and Historical Geographer Dr. Steven Derfler, Time Sifters Board Member Yohanan Aharoni was the interweaving of geographical, professional rival, Yigal Yadin, born in Germany, June historical and archaeological he is considered to be one of the 7, 1919 and immigrated research. founders of what would become to Palestine in 1933. He was a Aharoni participated in many known as the Israeli school of Israeli archaeologist and historical excavations, including Ramat archaeology. An exact archaeo- geographer, chairman of the Rachel (1959-62), Tel Arad (1962 logical survey, excavation of Department of Near East Studies -73), Tel Hazor (1955-58) and selected sites discovered in the and chairman of the Institute of Lachish (1966, 1968). The crowning survey, the collation of direct Archaeology at Tel-Aviv University. achievement of his labors was his knowledge of the region and its Aharoni studied archeology at environmental study of the biblical remains with historical texts: the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Negev. He served as director of the this is in essence the methodology of and began to teach there in regional project entitled Aharoni. But however intense the 1954. By 1966 he was a full Expedition to the Negev; including the rivalry with any colleagues, there professor, but in 1968 he moved sites of Tel Be’er Sheva (1969-75), was always a deep-rooted sense to Tel-Aviv University and became Tel Malhata (1969-71) and of respect. This transcended any chairman of the Department of Khirbet el Meshash (1972-75). He political unpleasantness as well- Near East Studies and chairman also studied ancient roadways in the notably with regard to the British of the Institute of Archeology; Negev, and participated in the archaeologist, Kathleen Kenyon, founding it in 1969. discovery of the Bar Kokhba who would visit Tel Sheva in 1974. Aharoni was first and foremost a caves while surveying and It is impossible to conclude even historical-geographer. He defined excavating the Dead Sea region a brief eulogy on Aharoni the this discipline for his students in 1953-55. scholar without describing and expanded the theme in his Along with friend, but intense Yohanan Aharoni the man—a book The Land of the Bible as the man of modest demeanor, a science of synthesis-a synthesis man of the people, a friend to that may be attained through all, who even upon attaining the heights of his scientific career, remained the same kibbutznik”; unassuming and open-hearted, the ideal image of a scholar of Israel. He passed away on February 9, 1976 in Tel Aviv. Lachish Front Gate; photo by wilson44691 Tel Be’er Sheva; photo by gugganij Tel Hazor Lachish Inscription; photo by onceawhile Tel Arad Fortress

Continued from page 1 ... Battlefield Archaeology flag is placed where it was located. This process ensures that the artifact's location can be later verified. A found item’s location is more important than the item itself. Archaeologists use total stations Atlasobscura.com at Minute Man National Historical Park to map the locations of artifacts. Daniel Sutherlin When used by qualified professionals, total stations, as very accurate, distance-measuring devices, record the location of artifacts as they are spread across the landscape - a key component in fully understanding a battle site. After the dig, the artifacts are FoxNews.com PA Trails of History inputted into Geographic Information Revolutionary War, and provide Software (GIS), and a map of the particularly helpful with us a more complete understanding of survey site is created. This software, well-equipped and distinctively the battles that forged our nation. combined with a laser measuring marked British troops. Because and GPS system, ensures that an of the wide variation in Photos by Smitty artifact's exact location is identified. Revolutionary War weaponry, Location is the critical element of both small arms and artillery, the battlefield archaeology that enables us size and type of ammunition to expand our understanding of a becomes a sort of unit fingerprint battle. When the dig is complete that can help identify movements and the map is compiled, the and positions on the field. distribution of artifacts can show Historic discoveries sometimes fields of fire, areas of engagement, require futuristic technologies. and unit positions. Grouping of Battlefield archaeology can help spent and deformed musket balls uncover the untold stories of the show where units came under heavy fire. Similarly, concentrations of Emanuel Leutze; Metropolitan Museum of Art dropped cartridges can show where the lines were located. Identifying canister, grapeshot, and solid shot, all help show what the artillery was targeting. The items themselves, tied to their location, are also important to constructing the narrative of a Revolutionary War battle. Buttons, buckles, and other pieces of equipment can help identify which unit traversed a location. This is Officers: Board of Directors Copyright © 2019 Darwin \"Smitty\" Smith, President Time SiftersArchaeologySociety,Inc., Sherry Svekis, Vice President Directors: Evelyn Mangie All rights reserved. TBA, Secretary Marion Almy Don Nelson We send newsletters to people Laura Harrison, Treasurer Dorothy Cascio who have attended or expressed Karen Jensen, Membership Steven Derfler interestin our lecturesand given us their email address.

Membership Speakers & Events Calendar Lifetime: $350 Unless noted, all will be held at 6:00 PM Individual: $25 Selby Library, 1331 First St., Sarasota 34236 Family: $35 Student: $10 September 18 The Great Pyramid of Giza: Separating Fact from Fiction. Pay online at: Dr. David Miano WWW.TimeSifters.org Or mail checks to: October 16 Time Sifters, Inc. The Cow Cavalry: Florida Food for the Confederacy. PO Box 5283 Lindsey Morrison Sarasota, FL. 34277 November 20 Preserving a Lost WWII Battlefield off of North Carolina Dave Alberg January 22, 2020 Archaeology Year in Review: A look at what was talked about in 2019. Smitty Smith Time Sifters Archaeology Society P. O. Box 5283, Sarasota, FL 34277