An American professor and Egyptologist posted a string of tweets on May 31, instructing people on how to properly topple monuments to the ground.
As riots in the United States continue, Sarah Parcak went out of her way to post about 15 tweets giving instructions on what materials to use, how many people it will take and where to place chains for the most effective results.
Parcak tweeted: “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,” adding, “*might be masquerading as a racist monument I dunno”
Professor with advice on how to topple monuments. https://t.co/4zhPD5VI83
— Christina Sommers (@CHSommers) June 1, 2020
In another tweet she adds, “For every 10 ft of monument, you'll need 40+ people. So, say, a 20 ft tall monument, probably 60 people. You want strong rope attached to the chain---rope easier to hold onto versus chain. EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE WEARING GLOVES FOR SAFETY (there is a lot of safety first).”
You have two groups, one on one side, one opposite, for the rope beneath the pointy bit and the rope 1/3 down. You will need to PULL TOGETHER BACK AND FORTH. You want to create a rocking motion back and forth to ease the obelisk from its back.
— Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) June 1, 2020
On Monday, news arose about popular landmarks being defaced in Washington, DC. The riots and looting began after the death of George Floyd who was pinned down by a police officer who placed his knee over Floyd’s neck. Floyd later died in police custody on May 25, 2020.
A lot of damage has been caused by the riots and Parcak’s advice appears to be calling for more. She even drew a picture to further explain the process.
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
In one tweet Parcak writes, “WATCH THAT SUMBITCH TOPPLE GET THE %^&* OUT OF THE WAY IT WILL SMASH RUN AWAY FROM DIRECTION. Then celebrate. Because #BlackLivesMatter” adding, “and good riddance to any obelisks pretending to be ancient Egyptian obelisks when they are in fact celebrating racism and white nationalism.”
So far, many businesses have been ruined and some will be unable to reopen while rioters and looters continue causing damage. Riots have even started in Canada as peaceful protests in Montreal turned violent.
