Hi Matt,
A small time capsule wrapped in a plastic bag left by Colin Renfrew's diggers in a small cleft in the rock in the 1973 trench across the ditch at the Ring of Brodgar helped establish the original cut for the ditch when it was reopened in 2008 (the capsule also contained a mars bar wrapper among other things). I suppose this is an inclusion of sorts. It was displayed and is held in the Orkney Museum.
Plastic silage sheeting or terram is commonly used to seal trenches on research excavations, which are excavated down to the 'plastic horizon' the following year. Sometimes, parts of trenches are only reopened years later (for example the original 2003 trench at the Ness of Brodgar) and the plastic guides the later archaeologist easily to the correct interface left years before. Sometimes plastic is never removed in places and remains there for future generations.
I wonder whether analysis of micro-plastic in deposits would enable a 'plastic horizon' to be identified where none is visible to the eye? I'm thinking of carbon particles found in peat deposits which show the onset of the industrial revolution, or the construction of more recent oil flares.
I once found a crisp packet in my former garden in Sheffield below some concrete, clearly used as packing, which dated the surface to c.1983.
Apologies for the ramble, it is a topic close to my heart...
Cheers,
Dan
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion List for Contemporary and Historical Archaeology [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Matt Edgeworth
Sent: 11 February 2015 15:40
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: plastics as stratigraphic markers
Dear all,
I’m interested in plastics as inclusions in archaeological deposits in the ground. Does anyone know of any excavations where the recording of plastic artefacts and materials or plastic-bearing layers was important from a stratigraphic point of view? Are there any plans, sections, photos or context sheets that might illustrate this? Or do we tend not to record such recent deposits in detail?
appreciate your help
all best,
Matt
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contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events
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for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group.
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For email subscription options see:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html
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Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates:
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