Archeo-Isles

“Archeo-Isles” is a publication that exists at the cross-sections of design, anthropology, and archeology.  It analyzes human relationships to the natural environment, specifically beaches and islands on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The work comprises a collection of photography from one of the many beaches, Terrapin Park, as well as case studies from the local community and personal experience collected over multiple years. 

            The “beach” as a location is unique in that its shoreline serves as a collection of various washed up, unexpected timelines. Artifacts represent these different timelines, coming from a range of periods in human history. These treasures wash up ashore and return back to the Chesapeake Bay at the will of the tides and other natural phenomena. Each holds its own and sometimes known, but often speculative past. This compels humans to accumulate and collect these objects. Someone’s once discarded or lost object becomes transformed by Mother Nature herself, and emerges as a sought after treasure. 

            As one flips through the pages of this publication, they experience an emotion similar to that of discovery and surprise, a feeling many wayfarers experience when artifact hunting on a beach or simply exploring the many paths of a nature park. Within the "Field Notes" section, the reader can find sketchbook scans from my own design and research process. Topics covered in my research include natural phenomenoa and patterns, native cultures, the biophilia hypothesis, and hand-made type. The varying page dimensions within the middle section emulate the natural and continuous wave pattern of a tide chart. Artifact enthusiasts examine tide charts on a daily basis to determine what time is best to go to their usual, habitual locations. The translucent vellum in "Collected Curiosities" allows for the layering of artifacts. This visual choice emulates the process of digging through the glass jars my family has full of these objects. Overall, this publication serves as an archive of multiple timelines, stories, and personal observations of life on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, from Paleolithic to Contemporary civilization.