Professor Gives Detailed Instructions to Rioters on How To Successfully Destroy Monuments
An American archeologist and Egyptologist tweeted out information on how people can “safely” destroy monuments Sunday as rioters defaced and destroyed monuments in Washington, D.C., and across the nation.
Sarah Parcak, who is a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, shared detailed instructions on how to remove obelisks and even included a diagram.
“PSA For ANYONE who might be interested in how to pull down an obelisk* safely from an Egyptologist who never ever in a million years thought this advice might come in handy,” she tweeted.
Using an asterisk, Parcak stated that such monuments are “racist.”
PSA For ANYONE who might be interested in how to pull down an obelisk* safely from an Egyptologist who never ever in a million years thought this advice might come in handy
*might be masquerading as a racist monument I dunno
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
She then shared a thread explaining how a group of people could successfully topple such a structure.
I recommend a rhythmic song. YOU WILL NEED SOMEONE WITH A LOUDSPEAKER DIRECTING. There can be only one person yelling. Everyone will be alternating on rope left right left right not everyone on the same side. No one else near the obelisk! Safety first!
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
“Start by a few practice pulls to get into it. Think of it like a paused tug of war, pull, wait 2, 3, 4, 5 PULL wait 2, 3 4,5. PULL AS ONE, PAUSE 5 SECONDS, you’ll notice some loosening, keep up the pattern … you may need more people, get everyone to pull!” she continued.
Start by a few practice pulls to get into it. Think of it like a paused tug of war, pull, wait 2, 3, 4, 5 PULL wait 2, 3 4,5. PULL AS ONE, PAUSE 5 SECONDS, you’ll notice some loosening, keep up the pattern…you may need more people, get everyone to pull!
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
“Just keep pulling till there’s good rocking, there will be more and more and more tilting, you have to wait more for the obelisk to rock back and time it to pull when it’s coming to you. Don’t worry you’re close!” she added.
Just keep pulling till there’s good rocking, there will be more and more and more tilting, you have to wait more for the obelisk to rock back and time it to pull when it’s coming to you. Don’t worry you’re close!
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
“WATCH THAT SUMB— TOPPLE GET THE %^&* OUT OF THE WAY IT WILL SMASH RUN AWAY FROM DIRECTION,” she wrote. “Then celebrate. Because #BlackLivesMatter and good riddance to any obelisks pretending to be ancient Egyptian obelisks when they are in fact celebrating racism and white nationalism.”
WATCH THAT SUMBITCH TOPPLE GET THE %^&* OUT OF THE WAY IT WILL SMASH RUN AWAY FROM DIRECTION.
Then celebrate. Because #BlackLivesMatter and good riddance to any obelisks pretending to be ancient Egyptian obelisks when they are in fact celebrating racism and white nationalism
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
Here’s a rough schematic. I note this is experimental archaeology in action! Just my professional Hot Take and you may need more people, longer rope, etc. everything depends on monument size. pic.twitter.com/lzl55CSPNt
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
Some on Twitter were quick to point out that the 555-foot Washington Monument is the country’s most prominent obelisk.
But Parcak then clarified, asking her followers not to pull down the Washington Monument, which began construction in 1848 and is a staple of the Washington skyline.
Parcak seemed to infer that she had put out the instructions in order to assist those rioting amid nationwide unrest to help them destroy a structure in Birmingham, Alabama.
“There might be one just like this in downtown Birmingham! What a coincidence. Can someone please show this thread to the folks there,” she tweeted.
There might be one just like this in downtown Birmingham! What a coincidence. Can someone please show this thread to the folks there.
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
Indeed, The Birmingham News reported that demonstrators had attempted to take down an obelisk Confederate monument in Linn Park.
Parcak shared video of rioters attempting to destroy the obelisk on Twitter.
Happening this moment in #birminghamprotest #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/VW3hXkm2iQ
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
“ALSO PLEASE DO NOT PULL DOWN WASHINGTON MONUMENT,” she tweeted, adding that her diagram and instructions were “of course … all entirely hypothetical.”
ALSO PLEASE DO NOT PULL DOWN WASHINGTON MONUMENT
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
She also wrote to tell people not to pull down “ACTUAL ANCIENT EGYPTIAN OBELISKS.”
OK because this is twitter I need to clarify: PLEASE DO NOT PULL DOWN ACTUAL ANCIENT EGYPTIAN OBELISKS that was not the point of this thread.
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
Parcak is “the founding director of the Laboratory for Global Observation,” according to her faculty biography at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“Sarah and her husband, Egyptologist Greg Mumford, work together on the Surveys and Excavation Projects in Egypt, which includes archaeological projects in the Delta, Sinai, and pyramid fields regions of Egypt. Sarah has written the first textbook on the field of satellite archaeology, Satellite Remote Sensing for Archaeology, and has published numerous peer reviewed scientific papers,” the bio reads.
But as for her chosen profession, the archeologist described its as having “deeply racist, colonialist, and nationalist roots.”
As much as I love archaeology and Egyptology, we have to acknowledge-esp now- their deeply racist, colonialist, and nationalist roots- and ongoing practices. It is a field that has caused and continues to cause enormous harm (see DNA research) We all can do so much better.
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
“Comments such as these reflect poor judgment and do not represent the opinions of our university,” Tyler Greer, public relations director for the university, told The Western Journal. “Our 45,000+ students, faculty and staff often use social media to express thoughts that do not necessarily reflect the voice of the university.”
“If a public comment by a member of the campus community needs to be addressed by Student Affairs or Human Resources, it would be. However, personnel and student conduct matters are addressed privately between the individual and the institution.”
The university has not commented on whether Parcak will lose her job.
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