Archaeologists are now finding microplastics in ancient remains

Microplastics have been found in historic soil samples for the first time, according to a new study, potentially upending the way archaeological remains are preserved.

Researchers found microplastics in soil deposits more than seven meters (23 feet) underground, which were deposited in the first or second century CE and excavated in the 1980s, a team led by researchers from the University of York in the United Kingdom said in a statement published Friday.

In total, the study identified 16 different microplastic polymer types in contemporary and archived soil samples, the statement adds.

Linkerbaan,
@Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

Well plastic was oil to begin with.

So it’s all ancient dead creatures

ZombiFrancis,

Why are we here?

PLASTIC.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=rld0KDcan_w

nymwit,

Breaking news from the astronomy community!..

TotalFat,

Next up: Jesus really was made of plastic.

p3e7,

Am I reading the article wrong? The plastics come from the storage containers. Therefore the heading is quite misleading.

qprimed,

in my reading of the the article it discusses contamination in-situ with environmenal micro-plastics, even in soil samples that were taken from the early 80s (indicating that microplastic contamination has been a problem for a while).

in-situ preservation of artefacts are now being called in to question because microplastics can change the environment around the artefact, leading to damage.

4am,

Yeah, I wouldn’t figure that 16 different types of polymers would be discovered if the storage container were the issue.

Seems more likely that rainwater has been seeping down into the soil carrying the pollutants with it, and even as early as the 80s extracted items already contained a multitude of traces.

We really fucked shit up. That means I’ve never known a world with clean water, air, or soil, and I’m middle aged already.

Fuck do we do now?

homesweethomeMrL,

Step 1: vote the republiQans out

It’s coincidence that the first samples they found microplastics in are from the 80s, but it’s also a metaphor.

otp,

What is the metaphor?

DragonTypeWyvern,

The cancer of neoliberalism metastasized in 1980 with the election of Ronald Reagan.

Technically speaking Carter was also a neoliberal, but he was the Democratic brand that did things like put solar panels on the White House, because he wasn’t a simpering, oil industry boot licking reactionary as well.

flower3, (edited )

Sooo it has been here the whole time, carry on… /s

NineMileTower,

EDIT: OP added “/s” to his comment and my comment is no longer relevant. Carry on.

Strider,

It seems your /s was not sufficient. Sigh.

nexguy,
@nexguy@lemmy.world avatar

I stopped using /s when I leaned that it never really breaks down and you end up with microsarcastics in every thread.

someguy3,

Aliens!

thefartographer,

Nature is healing?

BestBouclettes,

Damn those Romans were good !

Bishma,
@Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

The Romans invented plastic, I KNEW IT!

taiyang,

It was actually the Etruscans. But common misconception…

zabadoh,

Cave drawings by neanderthals in the Fertile Crescent in today’s Iraq depict them hunting mammoths and making plastic.

taiyang,

Ah yes, I remember now. Nerf darts are actually derivative of plastic arrows heads that were dated over hundreds of thousands of years ago. The design is neigh indistinguishable from that of our ancestors’ nerf arrows.

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