Plastic leaves its mark at 2,000-year-old Iron Age site

Plastic has been one of the biggest environmental concerns in modern times and a new study has claimed that this material is being found at historic sites as well.

Castell Henllys in the Welsh Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, UK is where a village during the Iron Age was present about 2,000 years ago.

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Over the years, archaeologists and researchers have rebuilt have built four roundhouses which were once there in this ancient village.

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These structures were rebuilt about 30 years ago to understand how the materials used to decay and degrade over time.

But, what researchers found is absolutely unbelievable: 2,000 plastic items.

The study that was published this week in journal antiquity showed that plastic food wrap, candy wrappers, utensils, bottle caps, straws, straw wrappers, plastic bags, were some of the items found in this site.

Even though the site is ably maintained and cleaned, small plastic remains used by plenty of visitors were uncovered beneath benches installed in dark corners of the roundhouses.

The site has a rural setting and is based in the countryside, and that is why Harold Mytum, lead researcher and professor of archaeology at the University of Liverpool said "the amount of plastic litter was a surprise," as quoted by CNN.

He also said that if the children who visited this place were given lunch without plastic packing "it would have made a huge difference" as about 6,000 children each year visit this site.