Plastic pollution: archaeological perspective on an Anthropocene climate emergency

Abstract

Plastic pollution is a global phenomenon offering a vivid illustration of the scale of anthropic impacts on the environment, a key characteristic in defining the Anthropocene. Plastic pollution not only contributes to the current climate crisis but is also accentuated by extreme events caused by climate change. The scale and omnipresence of the issue of plastic pollution makes it a relevant object of study for archaeologists, as well as an object of concern for heritage and archaeological sites marked by plastic pollution. In this paper, I advocate for an archaeological consideration of plastic pollution, by exploring plastics as artefacts (through visual analysis and archaeological science), as chronological markers in the stratigraphy and eventually as components of waste landscapes. While the issue of plastic pollution can be studied archaeologically, I argue that it must be considered by archaeologists, especially as natural and cultural heritage sites are threatened by the presence of plastic pollution.