Large-surface Rubbish Dumps of the Modern Period. Genesis, Possibilities of Protection, and Research by the Use of Archaeological Methods

Abstract

This article describes the origin of large-scale landfill in the second half of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century. Policy related to waste management in selected European cities and methods of their utilisation and segregation are discussed. The author later presents the possibilities in the field of archaeology associated with the study of material culture located on surviving excavation sites and discusses the issue and legitimacy of their protection. The article mentions some examples of excavations carried out in recent years, which took place at historic rubbish depots located in France, Australia, and Great Britain. The result of this research was a wealth of information which significantly expanded knowledge not only about the material culture of that time, but also about the importance of local production, imports and the global exchange of goods.