Time Sifters Archaeology Society Newsletter November 2021

NOVEMBER-2021 PRESERVATION  EDUCATION  RESEARCH  INSPIRE Dear Member: I hope you were able to join us on October 20, when Dr. Diane Wallman of USF told us about a project she has been working on in the Caribbean “Colonial Encounters on the Caribbean Frontier: Archaeology at LaSoye 2”. If you missed it, the recording is available on our website and our YouTube channel along with other lectures. On November 17 we are honored to have the City of Alexandria’s Archaeologist Dr. Eleanor Breen talk to us about her work on the waterfront of the Colonial City of Alexandria VA. The topic is “Archaeology at the River’s Edge”. We hope you will join us on ZOOM. Thank you for being a Time Sifters member. Darwin “Smitty” Smith, President [email protected] November 17 - at 6:00 PM – ZOOM. Archaeology at the River’s Edge: Alexandria, VA Beginning in 2015, new Dr. Eleanor Breen development along Alexandria’s City Archaeologist, Alexandria, VA historic shoreline triggered archaeological work in advance highly significant, but when community archaeology program of construction. Project by project, taken together along with a that preserves and interprets the remains of wharves, wealth of historical documentary Alexandria’s history. She holds warehouses, dwellings and data, a maritime cultural degrees in Anthropology from house lots, industries, privies, landscape is taking form. the College of William and and four ship hull remnants Mary, the University of emerged from the waterlogged Dr. Eleanor Breen is a Massachusetts, Boston, and depths at the Potomac River’s historical archaeologist with the University of Tennessee, edge. The level of preservation over two decades of experience on under these modern City sites in the mid- Knoxville. blocks was astounding – 20th Atlantic region. As Eleanor currently century slab-built structures City Archaeologist, serves as the nearly perfectly encapsulated Eleanor currently President of the entire remains of historic directs the unique Council of waterfront neighborhoods. This Virginia talk will provide an update on Archaeologists. the research and preservation She and her family of the ships’ timbers and other live in a historic archaeological finds. Even as neighborhood of individual features and artifact Alexandria. assemblages, these finds are Photos: City of Alexandria Instructions for real time viewing: Register in advance for this meeting: Go to the Time Sifters website, www.timesifters.org and click on the registration url. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Did You Know ... Florida has a State Archaeologist? With permission from Southwest Florida Archaeological Society (SWFAS) – John Furey and Fort Myers News, December 29, 2019, Press Staff Reporter Amy Bennett Williams Do you know who our current exact cause was never revealed, WPA not include the state archaeologist is? Do he supposedly disguised the Everglades in their work (Carr you know the history of the ownership of a federally 2012: 13). Gordon Willey position? The following article owned truck and rented it to mentions that Mr. Lamme was by staff reporter Amy Bennett the government for $8.00 per a field supervisor on the WPA Williams tells us the history of day. Additionally, Lamme excavations in his Preface to the first State Archaeologist traveled with his secretary Excavations in Southeast Florida and the scandals that twice who he hired as his assistant (Willey 1949:5). Lamme had surrounded him. Also, a listing while he was married to another powerful friends in government of our Florida State Archaeologists woman. Liberal use of and, when a new governor from 1935 to the present and moonshine during prohibition was elected, he was reinstated. our State Underwater and getting crews drunk He produced no written reports Archaeologists since being doomed his appointment. In of any of the early excavations established in 1964 is included 1935 Lamme proposed that he supervised despite being an at the end of the piece. the WPA expand their work excellent and experienced writer. Vernon Lamme, The First into the Miami-Dade Counties Florida State Archaeologist area of Everglades National On June 22, 1937 Lamme Park but was opposed by tendered his resignation as Vernon Lamme (1893-1979) Ernest F. Coe, chairman of State Archaeologist as his was a newspaper man and the Everglades National Park scandals again caught up with worked in Ft. Myers for Association. Coe sent a telegram him. He went on to work for The Tropical News, an ancestor to Governor Scholtz stating private firms but continued to of the Ft. Myers News Press. that the everglades should be look for connections to the omitted from the WPA project Maya in Florida. He died in Lamme was also an avid and was supported by Ales Boynton Beach, FL in 1979 amateur archaeologist and in Hrdlicka of the Smithsonian. and was buried on Merritt the late 1920’s and 1930’s he Scholtz then ordered that the Island, FL. volunteered on some Smithsonian sponsored Works The Florida State Archaeologist is an employee of the Progress Administration (WPA) Department of State, the Division of Historical Resources. Here excavations on the Southwest is a listing of the qualified archaeologists that held the position. Florida coast. Through the contacts that he made on 6/1935 - 12/1935 Vernon Lamme these excavations; he was 1937 - 6/1937 Vernon Lamme hired to be the supervisor on 1937-1946 Florida Geologic Survey some federally funded Civil 1946-1958 John W Griffin Works Administration (CPA) 1958-1965 Florida Geologic Survey projects near Miami. Once he 1963 Florida Recreates the Position of State Archaeologist realized that you could actually get 1965-1987 L. Ross Morrell paid to do archaeology, and 1987-2003 James Miller Florida did not have a state 2003-2005 David Dickel archaeologist, he wrote the 2006-2011 Ryan Wheeler legislation and had a close 2011-2019 Mary Glowacki friend introduce it in 1935 as 2019-present Kathryn Miyar Senate Bill No, 504 (Chapter 16782). It passed, and even Florida State Underwater Archaeologist without any formal training, 1964-1972 Carl Clausen Lamme was appointed to the 1972-1983 W.A. “Sonny” Cockrell position. 1983-1987 vacant 1987-2016 Roger Smith Six months into the position 2016-Present Ryan Duggins Lamme was suspended on December 11, 1935, by Governor Shotz and while the

Notes from a Time Sifter Salt and Civilization By Evelyn Mangie, Time Sifters Board Member Salt, the combination of the Photos: Wikipedia Photo: elements sodium and chloride Soligorsk Salt Mine - Pinterest (NaCl), is essential to life, Photo: necessary to generate nerve Wieliczka Saltworks Cathedral - Reddit Photo: impulses and to maintain a Khewra Salt Mine - Wikipedia balance of electrolytes and fluids in (“Saltworks”) in Bulgaria the body. It was also a necessary where, by the 7th century were vital to the spread of component for the advancement of BCE, people had learned to civilization. civilization because salt was extract salt from brine by boiling the first product that early the water away. In Italy, salt The value of salt increased sedentary people set out to springs in the northern Italian when it was discovered that salt find. Archaeology has exposed city of Salsomaggiore Terme preserved food, extending the the efforts that ancient people (big salt spa) drew merchants length of trips travelers could made in their search for salt. who carried the salt down the make. Salt also tastes good, History shows us the impact of Via Salaria (salt road). Sale making it even more valuable those searches. Marino (sea salt) was shipped as a spice. Those who could from Sicily’s natural seaside control the production of salt There are only two sources salt pans on Sicily’s Via Sal became rich and powerful. of pure salt, rock salt and that connected to the mainland Archaeologists found ancient the ocean water into which network across the Italian gold objects in Solnitsata natural rock salt dissolved. peninsula. Germans shipped indicating that salt trade made Early humans got salt by salt from Salzburg (salt castle) them rich. Chinese merchants eating animals that had on the Alte Salzstrasse (old of Shanxi province were also consumed salt. Nomads whose salt road) and Tuzluca (\"salt getting rich from the production animals were the largest part place\") in Turkey served much of salt, and it became an of their diet did not need to of the southern Black Sea area. important source of Chinese add salt, but when people state revenue and development. turned to agriculture, eating Cities of the British mostly cereals and vegetables, Islands that end with “wich” Wars were fought over it, but they needed to supplement such as (Middlewich, Nantwich, Shanxi control of the salt market their diet with salt. Northwich, Droitwich) were lasted through the Qing dynasty associated with salt production. (1636-1912 CE) and China is It was readily available all still the largest producer of salt over the world to those who Salt became the world’s first lived by the sea or near salt industry that helped build Continued on page 4 ... springs, but surface rock salt many cities and roads that deposits were available only in merchants also used to certain places, and underground spread goods and culture that deposits were beyond the reach of most early humans. That made salt scarce and made it precious. The first sedentary farmers that went looking for salt followed animal paths to surface salt deposits (salt licks). The animal paths turned into roads and the salt sources became cities, many of which still retain the word “salt.” The Chinese were harvesting salt in Shanxi province from Yuncheng yanchi (Yuncheng Salt Lake) by 6000 BCE. The oldest known salt town in Europe is Solnitsata

Continued from page 3 ... product. We are now encouraged to limit our in the world. consumption of salt (we eat Salt was so valuable that far more than is necessary), coming full Ethiopia and other areas of circle from the extreme value central Africa used salt as originally put on it. As the currency. The Bible and other value diminished, many salt religions demand it in sacrifices, mines stopped production and many (including Hippocrates) were made into extraordi- believe it is a curative, ancient Photo: narily awesome museums, Greeks used it for slave trade, Romania’s Salina Turda Salt Mine - Pinterest concert halls, health spas, and almost every government gave their soldiers a salt control of trade made the 14th and tourist attractions like the allowance, including the Romans century Mali elite immensely beautiful Soligorsk Salt Mine in (soldier comes from Latin wealthy. The salt mines of Belarus, the cathedral inside the “sal dare”, meaning to give Poland made them a rich enormous 13th century salt, and salary comes from kingdom in the 16th century. Wieliczka Saltworks in Poland, Latin 'salarium' meaning Russian tsars gave salt springs the mosque inside Pakistan’s “allowance”). to the Stroganov family (beef Khewra salt mine, and the recipe named to honor them) theme park in Romania’s By the Middle Ages the vast who founded the Ural dynasty Salina Turda Salt Mine. stores of underground salt known as the “salt kings of The search for salt is over were discovered that increased Russia.” But better ways to but the old roads remain, having the wealth of some nations. Men, process salt and the increase evolved into massive women, and children mined of the number of mines international trade routes that salt, opening huge caverns around the world made salt a sustain modern civilization. underground. The work was cheap and ubiquitous everyday dangerous but the profits were substantial. Salt and gold were of equal value in Mali where Good Morning ... From our good friend and excellent Egyptian Tour Guide, Haytham Hafez. We hope that travel will open soon to our favorite places including Egypt. Board of Officers: Lifetime: $350 Pay online at: Directors Darwin \"Smitty\" Smith, President Individual: $25 WWW.TimeSifters.org Sherry Svekis, Vice President Family: $35 Or mail checks to: Mary S. Maisel, Secretary Student: $10 Time Sifters, Inc. Laura Harrison, Treasurer Supporting $50 PO Box 5283 Karen Jensen, Membership Sarasota, FL. 34277 Marion Almy Jean Louise Lammie Evelyn Mangie Copyright © 2021 Time SiftersArchaeology Society,Inc., All rights reserved.