New research suggests plastic particles may pose a threat to the preservation of historic remains.

Today, microplastics are found almost everywhere: oceans, food, the atmosphere and even human lungs, blood and placentas. But while they’re thought of as a modern problem, plastic particles are now appearing where one might least expect: ancient archaeological sites.

Researchers found microplastics in soil deposits 7.35 meters (24.11 feet) below the ground, according to a study published this month in the journal Science of the Total Environment. The soil samples date to the first or early second century C.E. and were sourced from two archaeological sites in York, England. Some were excavated in the late 1980s, while others were contemporary samples.

[www.smithsonianmag.com]

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