The word “archaeology” conjures countless images in the cultural imagination: ancient civilizations, lost artifacts, and—as we’re trying to break free from cliché—Indiana Jones. But recent archaeological research is being done differently than any other. It’s done in space.
The archaeological survey is the Sampling Quadrangle Assemblages Research Experiment, or SQUARE, and consists of six square test sites on the International Space Station, about 254 miles (408 km) above our planet. In a study published today in PLOS One, a team of researchers presented their findings from two sample sites. One of the areas (pictured above) is a maintenance area on the ISS; the other is a universal holding area near the toilet and exercise equipment for the astronauts.
The team found that the way spaces were assigned meaning did not always match the way they were used. In their 60-day study, the facility was not used for maintenance, and was used for scientific purposes only.
“It was basically a place to store things, like a clipboard in your garage or a garden shed, which was made possible by the large amount of Velcro in this area,” said study lead author Justin Walsh, an archaeologist at Chapman University and co-founder and partner. -director of the International Space Station Archaeological Project, in an email to Gizmodo.
“We realized that historical photos show something different because no one has ever bothered to take a photo of a workplace that is not being used,” he added. “That was an important lesson about the relationship of historical images to long-term patterns of use.”
The project began in 2015 as a retrospective review of how space on the ISS is used. But the archival photos showed only so much, so the team decided to conduct an archaeological survey to channel. Once the team got the nod from the ISS National Laboratory, it took less than a year to set up the project on the station.
“I think we were probably one of the fastest payloads, from proposal to execution, in the history of the ISS,” Walsh said.
The work was carried out between January and March 2022. The second research site—a hitherto insignificant empty wall near the station’s toilet and gym—was used by one group member as their private space. Walsh pointed out that where astronauts can put their belongings “seems to be an afterthought for the ISS, and it’s a problem that everyone who goes there has to deal with.”
So far, only two sample squares have been published, but the team plans to report findings from other study areas next year.
“There are a few important takeaways. “First, we’ve shown that it’s possible to do good, productive archeology in space, even if the investigators are on the ground,” said Walsh. “Secondly, we definitely showed that places on the space station are used in unexpected ways, which is very humane,” he added.
It’s like the counter in my entryway now called, “Where We Store Mail.” Communication works in many and sometimes mysterious ways, but in my humble opinion, things should be named for their specific purpose. However, spaces are sometimes given a definition (and a label) before their usage is clear.
“Ultimately, we’ve provided useful information that future space station designers can use to improve their habitats—highlighting important but often overlooked events,” added Walsh. “Since the ISS is probably the most expensive construction project ever built by humans, it’s important to learn from it and think about how to do it better going forward.”
Indeed, now is the time to plan how one’s future habitat can be improved. The ISS is scheduled to retire in 2030, at which time the station will be moved off the road to a crash site in the Pacific Ocean. There are concerns that some of the ISS’s commercial options may not be ready in time for the veteran co-op to retire.
And aside from the orbiting, international engagement going on in space, there’s the not-so-small story of the Lunar Gateway, a planned lunar space station that will establish a permanent human presence on the Moon. On a positive note, archeology work on the ISS will soon be more like traditional archaeology, as the space station will soon pass into history. If we’re going to take any lessons from how people have used this survey channel, now is the time.
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