Time Sifters Archaeology Society Newsletter February 2021

FEBRUARY-2021 PRESERVATION  EDUCATION  RESEARCH  INSPIRE Dear Member: It is with a very heavy heart that I report the passing of a very good friend Dr. Steven Derfler on January 26th. I met Steve at OLLI where I enjoyed his lecturers on Classical History. We developed a strong relationship that included three fantastic trips. One each to Israel, Morocco and Egypt. He was a Time Sifters Board member and gave six lectures for us. He provided numerous stories for our newsletter and valuable support and guidance to me. I will really miss him. RIP old friend. Darwin “Smitty” Smith, President [email protected] February 17 - at 6:00 PM – ZOOM. Napoleon in Egypt Daniel Stephens Lead Park Ranger, Interpretation De Soto National Memorial After having subdued Italy, Napoleon Photos: Mary Evans Picture Library; Jean Leon Gerome. “had nothing to do”. He set his sights on Egypt as his next target of expansion. He felt that the Land of the Nile was the gateway to the east. He would set out in 1798 to “show the world” what he was made of. At the front sailed Napoleon aboard the flagship, which was aptly christened L'Orient. Napoleon would bring two armies - the second being a scientific delegation, called L’Institute D’Egypte which was all about looting. After his defeat to the British in 1801, the French forfeited the looted Egyptian antiquities to the British. The booty, with very few exceptions, ended up in the British Museum - over 21,000 pieces in- cluding the Rosetta Stone. Instructions for real time viewing: Go to www.zoom.com Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIodOuuqz0qEtAdsV6s-kspyIcHnFbX4z8S After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Notes from a Time Sifter assimilate the Uyghur population that was seen as separatist. Human Rights for Uyghurs? Uyghurs were harassed, their cities and cultural sites were destroyed, their farmland was seized, and By Evelyn Mangie - Time Sifters Board Member they were denied jobs and positions in Americans are the government. The Han now often reminded control media that other access, censor countries are Uyghur writers not concerned and have altered with human Uyghur history. rights. One of Owning books the offenders is about Uyghurs China who is is forbidden as oppressing the is owning a entire population prayer rug or of Uyghurs in growing a Xinjiang prov- beard. The Han ince in north- forced sterilization west China. and installed Uyghurs are cameras in Turkic-speakers private citizens’ with a distinct ancient culture that is very different from China’s Han majority and Mongolian nomads. There are ten million Uyghurs today, descendants of both European and Asian traders that intermarried with area locals in the first 8th century millennium BC. Uyghur Khagan Mummified remains have Photos: Reuters; Chinablog; Wikipedia; homes. The Caucasoid features, some the silk route.co.uk; Pinterest Uyghurs resisted but with reddish or blond were outnumbered, hair, features that were noted in the 10th century Their territory and since 2015 nearly three was often overtak- million have been placed in Song Dynasty Old History en by outsiders. “re-education” camps without any of the Five Dynasties that describes the Uyghurs as Genghis Khan opportunity to challenge their op- sometimes blond and blue swept through in pressors. China denies this ethnic 7th century Uyghur fresco the 13th century cleansing, but satellites confirm -eyed. Ancient Uyghurs and the Uyghurs the existence of the camps and also existed as a tribal confederation of autonomous Khaganates. became part of the Mongol empire reveal the destruction of Uyghur until the 16th century when they shrines, mosques, and cemeteries. Khagan is a title of imperial rank became vassals of the Qing Dynasty Modern Uyghurs, desperately in the Turkic languages equal to who changed the name of the trying to save their culture, have the status of emperor. The territory is territory from Xiyu, “Western mostly desert, but Uyghurs built Regions” to Xinjiang, “New Frontier”, found help. The Uyghur Human Rights Project and the World cities in the oases by channeling The Qing Dynasty was replaced Uyghur Congress are trying to water from the mountains through a complex series of by the Republic of China in 1912 preserve Uyghur culture, as do and the Chinese warlords the Uyghur Academies of the qanats (tunnels) that encouraged controlled Xinjiang. The Uyghurs USA, Europe, and Australia and commerce along the Silk Road continued to try to gain their Radio Free Asia. Uyghur emigrants in that ran through the territory and independence back and were finally made them prosperous. The old successful when they got the Central Asia and Australia promote Uyghur museums and cities still show unique Uyghur backing of the Soviet Communist teach Uyghur dress, dance, and architecture. Uyghurs originally followed a 3rd century Persian government in 1944. That ended song to their children in an effort in 1949 when Mao created the to preserve their identity, and in religion, Manichaeism, but converted People’s Republic of China and the hope for the return of their to Buddhism until the 10th century instituted social and economic rights in their homeland. when most Uyghurs adopted Sufi transformation of his empire. Islam, so there are thousands of Drawn by the oil, natural gas ancient Buddhist shrines and Islamic Mosques as well as museums and minerals of Xinjiang, the that display their ancient artifacts. Chinese have encouraged the Han to move into the region to

UNESCO World Heritage Sites #307 - The Statue of Liberty, USA. By Smitty Smith - Time Sifters Board Member. Sources: Wikipedia, National Park Service, the Statute of Lib- erty- Ellis Island Foundation The Statue of Liberty, whose Photos: National Park Service; the same as official name is “Liberty Library of Congress two U.S. Enlightening the World” is a pennies put colossal neoclassical sculpture on marked by New York's first ticker together. Liberty Island in New York Harbor -tape parade. She was a centen- The Statue's in New York. The copper statue, a nial gift ten years late. copper has gift from the people of France to naturally the people of the United States, The Statue of Liberty is a oxidized to was designed by French sculptor figure of Libertas, a robed form its Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and Roman liberty goddess. She familiar its metal framework was built by holds a torch above her head \"patina\" Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. The with her right hand, and in her green coating. statue was dedicated on October left hand carries a tabula ansata This patina 28, 1886 by President Grover inscribed in Roman numerals is as thick, Cleveland. with JULY IV MDCCLXXVI in many (July 4, 1776), the date of the places, as the copper behind it Frenchman Edouard de Laboulaye U.S. Declaration of Independence. and is protecting the copper from first proposed the idea of a A broken shackle and chain lay at naturally wearing away. monument for the United States her feet as she walks forward, The Statue is 305ft. 1in. from in 1865. Ten years later sculptor commemorating the recent the ground to the tip of the Bartholdi was commissioned to national abolition of slavery. flame. It is the equivalent height design a sculpture with 1876 in of a 22-story building. In 1886, it mind for completion, to commemorate The Statue is made of copper was the tallest structure in New the centennial of the American 3/32 in. (2.4 millimeters) thick, York. The torch has been closed Declaration of Independence. to tourists since the \"Black Tom\" explosion of July 30, 1916, which Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was one of the largest acts of (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was sabotage to our national monuments. commissioned to design the National Park Service staff must massive iron pylon and secondary climb a narrow 40ft. ladder in skeletal framework which allows order to maintain the floodlights Bartholdi statue's copper skin to which light the torch. The crown move independently yet stand is still open but by appointment upright. only. It is a welcoming sight to It was agreed that the American immigrants arriving from abroad. people were to build the pedestal, The statue has become an icon of and the French people were freedom and of the United States, responsible for the Statue and its and a National Park tourism assembly in the United States. destination. The statue was administered by Architect Richard Morris Hunt the United States Lighthouse designed the Statue’s granite Board until 1901. In 1933, the pedestal inside the courtyard of care and administration of the the star-shaped walls of Fort National Monument was Wood on Bedloe's Island in transferred to the National Park 1884. He donated his fee to help Service. In 1984, the Statue of fund the Statue. The pedestal Liberty was designated UNESCO construction was finished in April World Heritage Site, #307. 1886. The Statue was completed in France in July 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June 1885 onboard the French frigate \"Isere.\" For transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was reassembled on her new pedestal in four months’ time. On October 28, 1886, it was dedicated by President Cleve- land. The statue's completion was

What’s Up at the Lab? Manatee Mineral Spring “Well Monster” By Sherry Svekis, Vice President, Time Sifters One of the most exciting things during excavation last year was the unexpected discovery of a well. In all the historic accounts of the settlement by Manatee Mineral Spring, there was no mention of a well. The well was constructed out of barrel staves, with a square of wooden planking around the top. It was full of sand, artifacts, pieces of wood, and, very near the top, a large rusted hunk of metal. Squarish in shape, but no top or bottom. We named it the “well monster” because its corrosion had encased another metal form, a piece of wood, glass shards, and a piece of ceramic. In the lab, we spent a lot of time Above: Barrel well; white sand at the brushing off sand and loose bottom is fanning out as fresh water corrosion before we documented flows in. and photographed it. Last week, I drove it up to Tallahassee and left it with Florida’s Bureau of Archaeological Research so they could perform the conservation on it. It will need a long time in a good sized electrolysis tank. Above: The “Well Monster”. Above: Ready for its photo Right: The author photographing the shoot. monster. All photos: Sherry Svekis Officers: Board of Darwin \"Smitty\" Smith, President Lifetime: $350 Pay online at: Directors Sherry Svekis, Vice President Individual: $25 WWW.TimeSifters.org Mary S. Maisel, Secretary Family: $35 Or mail checks to: Laura Harrison, Treasurer Student: $10 Time Sifters, Inc. Karen Jensen, Membership Supporting $40 PO Box 5283 Marion Almy Jean Louise Lammie Sarasota, FL. 34277 Evelyn Mangie Don Nelson Copyright © 2021 Time SiftersArchaeology Society,Inc., All rights reserved.