Time Sifters Archaeology Society Newsletter September 2017

SEPTEMBER-2017 September Program September 20 - at 6:00 PM - Selby Library, 1331 First St., Sarasota 34236 The Trojan War: The Myth vs. the Reality Dr. David Miano Professor, State College of FloridaDear Member:Fall is almost here and so is Time Sifter's new season of monthly lectures! Smitty has outdone himself infinding us a great line-up of topics, starting with an exciting presentation on the Trojan War; preview the fulllist below. In November, we will be checking on a few local archaeological sites to see if there has been anyimpact from our storm season. If you'd be interested in participating in these \"field trips\", let me know. Otherupcoming events and activities that Time Sifters will be participating in this fall will be detailed in the nextnewsletter.The Time Sifters board is looking for a new volunteer, someone who is willing to be our Treasurer. Theboard is an easy-going group that meets once a month (Sept-May) on the second Wednesday evening. Noaccounting degree required! We use a very simple spreadsheet and there are generally only a couple of checksand a couple of deposits each month. If you might be interested, please email me with any questions.Your membership renewal date is on the mailing label. If that date is September 2017 or earlier, please renewnow by credit card online at www.Timesifters.org, mailing a check to the address listed at the bottom, or withcash or check at the September meeting.Thanks for being a Time Sifters member!Sherry Svekis, President [email protected] September 20, Selby Library English HeritageThe Trojan War: The Myth vs. the RealityFor over 3,000 years, the tale of walk us through both the myth China. He earned his Ph.D. at thethe Trojan War pitting the Greeks and the history of the Trojan University of California, San Diegoagainst the Trojans has provided War, and he will show how not and is the author of a number ofone of the richest sources of only archaeology, but even the books geared towards scholarsinspiration in art and literature for legends themselves, can be used and the classroom, and includingthe inheritors of the Classical as a window into the values and “How to Know Stuff”, a littletradition. The question remains, culture of the ancient Greeks. e-book designed for the generalhowever, did the war really David Miano is a historian of public. Dr. Miano currently teach-happen? And if so, did it play out antiquity, specializing in the es at the State College of Florida,as the legends tell us? In this histories of the Near East, Manatee-Sarasota. His website is:presentation, Dr. David Miano will Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, and www.davidmiano.net.

Notes from a Time SifterRoad Tripping on Ancient PathwaysDid you take a road trip this be scaled. These roads weresummer? Chances are that at financed by kings and govern-least part of your drive took you ments. Darius the Great, King ofon roads that were built on Persia (550-486 b.c.e.) built theancient pathways that have been Persian Royal road between Susathere for thousands of years. and Sardis, a full 1677 miles that connected his massive empire.For example, Interstate 70 that Some of this road was built on topruns from Baltimore, MD to of already existing old Assyriancentral Utah follows an ancient sections that were likely built onpath used by pre-Columbian top of even earlier roads. DariusAmerican Indians, and the 444 paved his road with stones andmile-long Natchez Trace Parkway added shoulders that made thethat runs from central Mississippi famous communication system soto Tennessee was once a path that admirable that Herodotus (484-American Indians used as they 430 b.c.e.) claimed that “neitherfollowed animals to far away snow, nor rain, nor heat, norgrazing grounds and salt licks. gloom of night stays these coura- geous couriers from the swiftWe are mobile creatures and have completion of their appointedbeen traveling since we stood up- rounds\". Later, the Romans usedright. We made paths permanent the road adding packed gravel toas we migrated seasonally and parts of it and eventually it wasinteracted with others in regular attached to the Silk Road,communication and trade. connecting the west with the east. The ancient Romans were theThe famous Silk Road (begun by most prolific road builders. They built the original Appian Way fromthe Han Dynasty in the first Sumerians paved Rome to Brindisi, the first longcentury b.c.e.) that crossed Asia the roads between road built specifically for movingfrom the Pacific to the Mediterranean cities with troops and military equipmentplayed a major role in the stones, and which played a big role in theexchange of culture and ideas paved city streets Roman victory over the Samnites.between China, India, Persia, with mud bricks The Roman Army continued toGreece and Rome. It was traversed anchored in place build roads throughout theirby donkey and camel caravans with bitumen empire building 50,000 miles ofas were the incense trails of the (ancestraljour- roads in Europe. They built 2000Arabian Peninsula (ox.ac.uk/ neys.org). The miles in England alone, in Spain,news, 4/30,12). But when we Minoans of Crete the Via Augusta ran south frombegan using wheeled carts, built the first the Pyrenees to Gibraltar, andpaving became essential. roads in Europe. thousands of roads crisscrossedEvidence for the oldest paved One is an amaz- Notes continued next page ...roads has been found in ancient ingly sophisticatedSumer (modern southern Iraq) 31-mile roadwhere, as early as 4000 b.c.e., built ca. 2000 b.c.e. that was paved with basaltic flagstones laid atop a layer of sand- stone blocks. Shoul- ders and side drains lined both sides making it so durable that it remains today. Roads grew in importance as trade extended father away. Very long paved roads were massive undertak- ings; ground cover had to be removed, rivers needed to be crossed and mountains had to

2 0Pro1gra7m /Ca2lend0ar 1 8 September 20, 2017 The Trojan War: The Myth vs. the Reality Dr. David Miano October 18, 2017 Excavating the Byzantine Church at Tel Kerioth Dr. Steven Derfler November 15, 2017 U576 & the Battle of the Atlantic Joe Hoyt January 17, 2018 Archaeology Year in Review Smitty Smith February 21, 2018 Ca’d Zan: The House of John Ringling Ron McCarty March 21, 2018Lake Jackson & Letchworth-Love Mississippian Mounds William M. Stanton April 18, 2018 Student Papers Various May 16, 2018 The Latest Archaeology in Israel Dr. Uzi BaramNotes continued ... roads lead to Rome” is truer erosion. The Arabs added tar to through France and Germany. today than it was in 312 b.c.e. the roads around Baghdad in the When the empire extended into when the Appian Way was first 8th century but it was not until the Near East they took built (Encyclopædia Britannica). the 19the century that engineers advantage of roads that were Roman roads were extremely began using a soil and stone already there or built new durable but maintenance was aggregate called “macadam” roads. The Via Egnatia linked always an issue as was dust and named after Scottish engineer Albania to Asia Minor (Turkey), John McAdam who developed the the Via Maris in the Levant along process. Ten years later, British the Mediterranean allowed trade engineer John Henry Cassell between Egypt and Syria. Trajan tried sealing the “macadam” with rebuilt the King’s Highway tar and sand creating “tarmac”. It farther inland that connected was so successful that it is still Africa and Mesopotamia, all the most commonly used road maintained to ensure the wealth surfacing for all roads including and power of the Roman Empire. the many ancient paths that we Many of these roads are still used still use on our road trips around today so the medieval proverb, “all the world.Officers: Board of Directors Copyright © 2017Sherry Svekis, President Time SiftersArchaeologySociety,Inc.,Darwin \"Smitty\" Smith, Vice Pres. Directors: Evelyn Mangie All rights reserved.Bernice Jones, Secretary Valerie Jackson Bell Sharon McConnell We send newsletters to peopleTBA - Treasurer Robert Bopp Saretta Sparer who have attended or expressedKaren Jensen, Membership Glenn Cooper interestin our lecturesand given us their email address.

Membership Speakers & Events CalendarLifetime: $200 All to be held at 6:00 PMIndividual: $25 Selby Library, 1331 First St., Sarasota 34236Family: $35Sustaining: $50 September 20Student: $10 The Trojan War: The Myth vs. the Reality Dr. David Miano, Professor, State College of FloridaPay online at:WWW.TimeSifters.org October 18Or mail checks to: Excavating the Byzantine Church at Tel KeriothTime Sifters, Inc. Dr. Steven Derfler, Ex. Director, Educational Resources, Inc.PO Box 5283Sarasota, FL. 34277 November 15 U576 & the Battle of the Atlantic Joe Hoyt, Archaeologist for NOAA Time Sifters Archaeology Society A Chapter of the Florida Anthropological Society www.timesifters.org/Time Sifters Archaeology SocietyP. O. Box 5283, Sarasota, FL 34277