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Timekeepers

Can a seed from the past act as a guide to a livable planet in the future? What can we learn about changes in climate, and customs and crops in different eras when we allow these time capsules to germinate?

Soils store seeds in hibernation, this also counts for the soil of Ruigoord. On a tropical summer afternoon, we welcome archaeo-botanist Mans Schepers and archaeologist Tymon de Haas to an open meadow enclosed by reeds. Today, we hope to discover more about the genesis of this former island by undertaking a core sample of the soil. What can the soil with possible organic matter of  plant remains, seeds, spores and pollen tell us? 

While taking the core sample we bring a thick layer of peat that is alternating with sedimentary layers of sand and clay back to the surface. From the scientists we learn that the types of deposits tell us something about different climatic conditions in the past. And how the changing dynamic of an interplay between fresh and saltwater shaped this landscape.  

In the peat we discover some seeds detectable with the naked eye. Without a microscope, it is impossible to determine which species they are. However, we can establish that the peat has managed to preserve the seeds in a good state. A collaboration between the oily quality of the seed in question and the acidic, oxygen-free wet peat. 

Nowadays, Ruigoord is an ecological gem surrounded by the petrochemical industry where we experience the consequences of the fossil era in a changing landscape. How do these changes relate to the planetary processes of our planet?