Time Sifters Archaeology Society Newsletter August 2019

AUGUST-2019 PRESERVATION EDUCATION RESEARCH INSPIRE Dear Member: Next season starts on September 18 with “The Great Pyramid of Giza: Separating Fact from Fiction” followed by a piece of Florida Civil War History - “The Cow Cavalry”. In November we are diving into the Atlantic Ocean - “Preserving a Lost WWII Battlefield off of North Carolina”. Two events in January include the “Archaeology Year in Review” and the second in our “In-Depth Series … Neanderthals & Early Humans”, presented by Dr. Edward Gonzalez-Tennant. Then we are off to Georgia for the “Kolomoki Mounds” followed by the “Santa Cruz de Guaudalquini Mission site” of Black Hammond Island in Florida. We finish the year in May with a trip to Israel’s Negev desert with “Archaeology & the Bible: Excavation of Nahal Yatir - A Biblical City”. WOW what a list of great subjects and speakers! Please join us for this adventure around the world. Darwin “Smitty” Smith, President [email protected] Heritage Monitoring Scouts Help Preserve Archaeology in Sarasota By: Becky O’Sullivan, Florida Public Archaeology Network, University of South Florida We are so lucky here in Florida to hurricane season it is important visitor traffic, and various other have a deep and diverse history of to remember that even three feet threats. Scouts will be given a people who have made this area of storm surge from a relatively HMS Mission sheet generated by their home for more than 14,000 small storm can be devastating FPAN staff and fill out a Scout years. Many of the important to our coastal archaeological monitoring form to verify location, archaeological and historic sites sites. More information is needed assess condition, and estimate that reflect this past are located in to identify and manage the threat of threat level. One of the great our coastal areas, and that means erosion on these special places. things about this program is that they are at risk from threats like With this in mind, staff from the anyone can get involved in preserving storm surge, coastal erosion, and Florida Public Archaeology sites in their community, regardless of sea level rise. As of 2013 the State Network (FPAN) has developed a experience level. of Florida identified 16,015 histor- citizen science project called the Some of the sites we visit are easily ical resources that will be impacted Heritage Monitoring Scouts accessible and open to the public, by a three foot rise in sea level, (HMS) Florida Program to help while others might need to be and numbers reaching 34,786 monitor archaeological sites accessed by a short hike or kayak given a six foot rise scenario. Of across the state. Through trainings trip. Ideal scout candidates are these, 2,908 are archaeological and meet ups HMS volunteers environmentally friendly volunteers sites (or 3,985 in the six foot learn to identify archaeological interested in Florida's past and scenario). But we don’t need to sites and look for evidence of ready to help FPAN staff and land wait for rising seas, as we enter damage from erosion, looting, managers. Whether you enjoy a short walk or a longer hike, the Sea Level Rise HMS Florida Program allows volunteers to find and assess historic and archaeological sites that fit with their interests and activity level. You can also join a group of like-minded folks at one of our Continued on page 3 ...

A Time Sifters Book Review The Mithras Conspiracy “An enjoyable thriller ... Polelle rewards readers with uncertainty in every chapter.” - Kirkus Reviews M. J. Polelle, Time Sifters Member Time Sifters member, the eighteenth century, amateur initiation into the cult, a sharing archaeologists found nearly of meals, spiritual rebirth, and Michael J. Polelle, has recently 2,000 papyrus scrolls carbonized the victory of good over evil. black and hard like thin layers of Sharp debate exists about the published The Mithras Conspiracy rolled coal. Although excavation has relationship of Mithraism to (M.J. Polelle), based on an stopped, the scholars speculate Christianity and the importance imaginative combination of that ancient works thought of the similarities between the destroyed may still be buried in two. Yet The Catholic Encyclopedia archaeological discoveries at the acknowledged that the chief Pater the villa. (Father) was a “sort of pope” Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum In the last two centuries unravelling who lived in Rome and called the scrolls damaged them. himself Pater Patrum (Father of and the history of the Mithras Therefore, scholars have so far the Fathers). That these two religions only translated isolated fragments, co-existed for over a century in cult in ancient Rome. mostly related to Epicurean Rome with one waxing and the philosophy. But with the advent other waning raised an imaginative The novel has received favorable of contemporary technology, question: what was their reviews. “An enjoyable thriller . . . especially multispectral imaging, co-existence like? Eventually, Polelle rewards readers with science is about to decipher the Theodosius I outlawed pagan uncertainty in every chapter.” — words without damaging the practices and a victorious Kirkus Reviews. The full review is scrolls. The novel imagines what Christianity build numerous at Kirkus.com. Dr. Steven Derfler, quantum leap in information churches in Rome over the archaeologist and classics about the ancient world might underground Mithraic chapels. authority, says, “The ‘what ifs’ in be discovered inside the existing this book are real possibilities— In this novel Commissario ancient legacies that may some- scrolls and further down in the Marco Leone of the Polizia di day be uncovered and reshape Villa of the Papyri. Stato of Rome must overcome a the perceptions of the past and Mithraism existed as a mystery tragic family history and a ancestral faiths.” Roman religion reaching its zenith in neo-fascist conspiracy threatening to The Villa of the Papyri contains the second and third centuries after topple the Italian government the only library known to have Christ throughout most of the and unsettle the origins of western empire. Mithras was a Christianity. With the aid of two survived classical antiquity and god who brought a type of salvation American archaeologists, he to humans. Little is known battles through the Russian-doll is thought to be have been built about the group but similarities complexity of a conspiracy inspired exist with respect to some Christian by Mithraic mythology and executed by the father-in-law of Julius Caesar. practices and beliefs, such as by means of costume- When the first excavations at the camouflaged assassinations and terror attacks on Villa of the Papyri occurred in churches built over Mithraic chapels. The Mithras Conspiracy (M.J. Polelle) is available on Amazon. Polelle’s website is mjpolelle.com. Photos by: Robert Hitchman-MOLA 1954, Getty Images, Polelle, Herculaneum Tour Guide.

Continued from page 1 ... on different sites to visit. We plan on setting up a special HMS training Heritage Monitoring ... for Time Sifters members this Fall, so keep an eye out in HMS Meet Ups so there is no need future newsletters for more to go it alone! information and dates. Interested in learning more about this program, or want to sign up to become an HMS Scout? Go to this link (https:// www.fpan.us/projects/ HMSflorida.php) and click the “Apply to Become a Scout” button to sign up for the program. You will get monthly emails about upcoming trainings and meet ups, as well as interesting information 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