Are human spacecraft, landers, rovers, and other exploration debris on Mars merely space trash, or do they hold historical significance akin to ancient artifacts like Clovis points? A new study by University of Kansas anthropologist Justin Holcomb argues for the careful documentation and preservation of these materials as a chronicle of humanity’s early interplanetary exploration.
Holcomb’s paper, titled Emerging Archaeological Record of Mars, was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. The research underscores the importance of viewing these items not as waste but as key artifacts marking a significant chapter in human history.
The case for preservation
According to Holcomb, humanity is undergoing a dispersal that began with migration out of Africa, expanded across Earth, and has now reached into outer space. “We’ve started peopling the solar system,” Holcomb said. “Just as artifacts and features on Earth help us trace our movement and history, we can use the physical remnants of probes, satellites, and landers to track our off-world expansion. These materials represent our species’ first steps into the cosmos.”
What many dismiss as “space trash” actually holds immense archaeological and environmental value. Holcomb emphasizes that “these are the first material records of our presence. The solution to trash is removal, but the solution to heritage is preservation.” Recognizing these items as heritage could reshape future missions, encouraging planners to avoid disturbing sites of historical significance.
Archaeology meets space exploration
Holcomb compares Martian artifacts to archaeological sites on Earth, such as middens (ancient garbage dumps), which provide insights into past societies. He highlights the importance of creating a stratigraphic framework—an archaeological layer—for Martian artifacts, enabling future researchers to study humanity’s interplanetary legacy. His co-authors support the idea that missions to Mars must incorporate preservation strategies into their planning.
A call for planetary geoarcheology
Holcomb’s work also calls for the development of a new field: planetary geoarchaeology. The unique environmental processes on Mars—such as cosmic radiation, dust storms, and cryosphere activity—pose challenges to artifact preservation and require deeper study. For example, artifacts in the Martian cryosphere are more susceptible to degradation from ice action, while global dust storms could bury sites, complicating future efforts to locate and study them.
One prominent example is the Soviet Union’s Mars 2 rover, which crash-landed in 1971. This event marked humanity’s first physical imprint on another planet. Such milestones, Holcomb argues, deserve recognition and protection as pivotal moments in human history.
Tracking our interplanetary legacy
Holcomb proposes creating a comprehensive database, potentially building on the U.N. Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space, to catalog human artifacts left on Mars and beyond. This initiative could track everything from a rover’s broken wheel to the historic helicopter blades of NASA’s Ingenuity.
“These artifacts are like hand axes in East Africa or Clovis points in America,” Holcomb said. “They represent the first presence of humanity on a new frontier, marking key points in our timeline of migration.”
By shifting the narrative from “space trash” to “heritage,” Holcomb and his colleagues hope to ensure that humanity’s first steps into the cosmos are remembered, studied, and preserved for generations to come.
Credit: University of Kansas.
Image credit: Joris Wegner.
