The road of history: from neolithic structures to nuclear archives.

I spent this past weekend exploring the Scottish Highlands; Long roads, lots of sheep and lovely coastlines. This rural landscape is full of history, life, stories and innovative thinking. The sites range from 4000 year old neolithic structures (Clava cairns) to ongoing nuclear decommissioning sites at Nucleus: Nuclear and Caithness Archives with a few ancient ruins in between. This journey had me thinking about time, its influence on us and how we interact with it.

The past is something we often take for granted, a static image of what was or a distant history lesson. For me, the past is so much more than that. Everything we learn, we experience, and that we know came from the past. It is fundamentally how we learn to be, exist and make decisions; it is how we shape who we are; it is how we set course on our unique journeys and determine which pathways we want to embark on. The present is a - mostly - enjoyable place where we live, feel, breathe and exist each and every day; we wake up each morning and get to be part of whatever experience we choose. It’s a beautiful place filled with mystery and wonder, and often lots of hard work in pursuit of a better future. And then there is the future. This unknown place where many of our hopes and possibilities reside. A place we strive for yet will never reach, a place where our dreams play out and opportunities are limitless. It’s a place we work to shape every day, where every decision made will influence its trajectory, and a place that is inextricably tied to both the past and present.

Spending time at a 4000 year old site made me realize that past humans were not all that different than we are. They designed and created collective meeting spaces; they come together for rituals and camaraderie; they appreciate when the sun comes out and enjoy a nice sunny day; and they created communities that worked together to build and plan for the future they could envision. There is little recorded history of neolithic communities; and I say recorded because modern day people very much value data and stories that have been documented. Yet for those who are working to document our history there is little support.

• What will we leave for the next generation to discover?
• What is it we want to say to them?
• What knowledge is most imperative to share?
• What lessons do we want to impart so our species can continue to thrive?

#future #history #past #present #innovation #construction #learn #study #imagine #time #scotland #highlands #engagement

originally written + shared on 19 Sept

by J. Simunich