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What a fascinating new geological era. Within the past century a new species of material types has fully entered the physical makeup of our landscapes, waterways, and geographies worldwide. Their presence is unprecedented. Their population is populating. They are human produced synthetics. As a conglomerate of laboratory created materials, synthetics (including plastics, and most forms of fiber, foam, and rubber) have come to infiltrate all facets of modern civilization, altering not just our daily habits but our history of existence. Yet despite inherent innovative qualities and certain advantages over natural materials of which they have and are replacing, synthetic products exist in interesting paradox. While on one hand synthetics appear durable and everlasting, even defying natural processes of biodregation; they simultaneously exhibit traits of weakness and fragility when their lightweight and buoyant properties often leave them at the mercy of basic elemental forces such as wind, tides, and currents. It is this combination of longevity and mobility, as well as the overabundance of which they are consumed and disposed of, that makes synthetics an unrivaled new category of archaeological artifact. Enabled to escape an outmoded infrastructure of disposal and sanitation, our society's trash is no longer bound to trashcans seen or landfills ignored. Instead, clues to our existence and precessional effects of our consumption now lie within the synthetic samples occupying sites unknown. Scapes that were once virgin territories of human exploration: staggering mountains, vast oceans, even the depths of space are now all being rediscovered and examined not for containing profound examples of what is natural, but what is not. Thus a new breed of curious explorer is needed to ask questions (what is this material, where did it come from, what function did it serve?), creatively interpret findings and most importantly Locate Explore Synthetic Sites. |
