Rubes by Leigh Rubin for July 21, 2023

It turns out that midden heaps mostly hold things that were already broken beyond utility. And other sorts of stuff, of course, which fortunately enough has turned into ordinary soil by the time the scientists get there.

But it’s true that humans from every age partake of the natural tendency to use something up and throw the wrapper over your shoulder.

After a thorough search of the site, I have determined that early man did not have plastic bags.

Leaving artifacts for future archeologists.

Some things never change…..

So easy a caveman could do it.

Hey, those spears could be reused! Do you think they grow on trees?

Someday, that will be someone’s treasure.

Yeah, well don’t hold your breath, buddy.

Ah – so all this time the archeologists have been digging up trash?

Somebody wanna tell him….?

One mans trash is an archeologist’s source of new research grants.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZesRAo5PBg&t=5s

Primitive villages were so overrun with rubbish that when a hut wore out, the owners would just knock and down, level out the area, and build on top of the heap. A place that had been inhabited for hundreds of years gradually built up a hill that the village sat on top of.

Schliemann dug down 50 feet to get to the lowest level of Troy.