The plastic age is a term that some researchers suggest we use to refer to the modern, plastic-dominated times in which we live. The use of plastic waste is also linked to the Anthropocene – the current unofficial geological age, marked by the impact that man has on the geology and ecosystem of the Earth. Regardless of one’s perspective on these terms, no one would argue that plastic is not a popular material today. A recent study in Wales also demonstrates how plastic can stand out in the archaeological record and predict the archeology of the future.
Image above: “Winter Day: Henllys Castle”. Plastic artifacts were found at the site of the dismantled roundabouts. Source: Dylan Moore / CC BY-SA 2.0
Where the Iron Age meets the Plastic Age
The new study published in the journal Antiquity explains that Castell Henllys is a well-excavated hill fort in Wales, dating from the end of the first millennium BC, in the Iron Age. In the 1980s, two experimental reconstructions of the Iron Age round house were built on site. They were built above the sites of the real round houses from the Iron Age, and their construction was based on archaeological evidence recovered from the site.
Henllys Castle. A view showing the entrance to one of the round houses completed in 1988. (Malcolm Neal / CC BY-SA 2.0 )
The round huts were key features of the heritage site, but health and safety concerns dictated that they could not simply be refurbished after 30 years, with the replica of the round having to be dismantled and rebuilt. In 2017/2018, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park called for researchers to excavate the dismantled round chambers. Initially, archaeologists were interested in investigating the remains of reconstructed Iron Age huts to learn more about the degradation process, how it affects archaeological conservation, and what activities leave their mark on the archaeological record.
The researchers write that their study of round replicas met this goal and “as expected, illuminated degradation processes and demonstrated how the archaeological signatures of reconstructed buildings can help interpret later prehistoric structural remains.” They also expected to find artifacts and other signs of the over-30s of the round rooms that host visitors, school trips and even a reality TV show (called “Iron Age Survival” ). But they did not expect to find so many signs of the plastic age at Castell Henllys. The large number of plastics and plasticized items, such as candy packaging, is the biggest discovery.
Examples of small fragments of sweet packaging recovered from the round Earthwatch at Henllys Castle. (A. Fairley Antiquity / Antiquity Publications Ltd. )
The hidden life of a popular heritage site
To establish the scene, the researchers write that it was “a well-maintained heritage site, from which modern waste is systematically removed to preserve the illusion for visitors of an Iron Age environment.” Thus, researchers were shocked to discover more than 2,000 plastic items during the excavations, a number that “far exceeds the replicated prehistoric objects used at the site or even other traces of modern life,” according to a Antiquity Press release.
Professor Harold Mytum of the University of Liverpool and lead author of the new study said: “I did not anticipate the large quantities of rubbish – mainly plastic – that were stored, even if the houses did not look messy”. Professor Mytum co-wrote the article with James Meek of the Dyfed Archaeological Trust.
Excavations at the site reveal recent relics of the plastic age. (H. Mytum / Antiquity Publications Ltd. )
The round houses were called the “Kitchen House,” which was established as an Iron Age round, and the “Earthwatch,” which was used more as a classroom and had benches in it. Cookhouse gave visitors an insight into life in the Iron Age and taught them about domestic life, as well as the cooking and weaving techniques of the time.
Into the Antiquity Mytum and Meek’s Cookhouse is described as “the most frequently visited roundabout on the site,” however, the researchers found that “relatively little debris accumulated inside it because the public would come in for a brief inspection of the interior or circulate around the inner ring of the pillars and probably sit around the hearth and absorb the atmosphere, rather than participate in activities that could easily generate the refusal to be thrown. In general, the researchers found 422 modern materials (which also included non-plastic items, such as nails, coins and tools) during their excavations in the kitchen.
The two replicas of the Iron Age in which signs of the Plastic Age were found. (H. Mytum / Antiquity Publications Ltd. )
But Earthwatch excavations have revealed a much greater impact of the plastic age. 2759 modern objects were found in this location, most of them consisting of plastics and plasticized articles. Many of the materials were related to the frequent use of Earthwatch as a place where students can dine while on trips to the heritage site. Candy packaging, straw packaging and other food-related items, such as plastic spoons and forks, made up a large part of the plastic assembly.
Artifacts from the plastic age? Plastic articles associated with the consumption of packaged lunches in the Earthwatch rotation. (A. Fairley / Antiquity Publications Ltd. )
Much of the plastic found in the dimly lit round rooms was fragmentary, which the researchers say, “may explain why so much plastic was found, despite efforts to keep the place clean. These small fragments may be easier to trample into the ground or may disappear into dark corners. ”
Two other researchers warn of the plastic age
This research reveals that while cleaning an archeological or heritage site frequented by visitors may well preserve it, it cannot completely eliminate the impact of those who have been there. The study also makes you wonder what future archaeologists might do about discovering a pile of candy wrappers on a heritage site.
A Godzilla-themed thermos cover was found in the Earthwatch rotation. (A. Fairley / Antiquity Publications Ltd. )What would a future archaeologist do with this discovery?
Regardless, it suggests that cleaning alone is insufficient to prevent the signs of the plastic age; which researchers hope to use in conjunction with these findings to raise awareness and reduce the amount of plastic entering the landscape.
As for Mytum and Meek, this research at Castell Henllys inspired them to join other scholars who claim that we live in the plastic age. Professor Mytum also notes that “plastic spoons, straw, snack and food foil packaging, and even apple labels were very common discoveries,” so Mytum says that “schools and families need to think about how can make packed lunches are more environmentally friendly. “
In the conclusion of their work, the researchers express their hope that the Plastic Age will not last as long as the Iron Age did. “With many initiatives now pushing to move from disposable plastic and plasticized items, this may be a narrow chronological horizon, but a distinct archaeological one,” the researchers write.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has decided to use the results of the recent study in an educational campaign to encourage visitors and schools to take more care of the environment and not to litter. We hope that others will follow suit.
By Alicia McDermott
Image above: The two round Iron Age replica houses at Castell Henllys in Wales, where signs of the Plastic Age have been found. (H. Mytum / Antiquity Publications Ltd. ) Insert: plastic spoon found in one of the round houses. (A. Fairley / Antiquity Publications Ltd. )