Imagine it’s the year 5014 and archaeologists are studying the great ancient civilization of New York City. What might they find? What conclusions could they deduct about today’s society from what they find?
Cornelius Holtorf, professor of archaeology at Linnaeus University in Kalmar, Sweden, came up with some fun, humorous answers to these questions for us. Epoch Times will continue to reach out to archaeologists for various perspectives on these questions.
Epoch Times: What materials would you expect to be left? (For example, today’s archaeologists find stone and metal sculptures, yet objects made of more fragile substances are less likely to have survived. The paint that originally decorated even the more durable materials has worn away. How will our synthetic materials hold up? Are structures and daily objects made less durable?)
Holtorf: Archaeologists in 5014 will encounter a thick layer of 3,000 year old concrete rubble including bits of metal, stone, and plastic. Some parts have been hermetically covered by soil containing clay; in those parts even organic materials are preserved. Among the most interesting finds are banana skins some of which still feature remains of little printed paper labels like these:
