Probably Nothing

Archaeologists are tasked with discovering remains that bear testimony to the lives of humans in the past. In the process of an archaeological dig, man-made objects are found buried in a bed of naturally-formed organic material. It is up to the archaeologist to determine what is man-made and what is not. They must then accordingly decide whether the object is worthy of collection, documentation and further study, or alternatively academically worthless. What happens when such researchers encounter an object that is neither here nor there, balancing on the fence of importance? When it is unclear whether an object is manmade or ‘naturally’ formed?
Our displays present materials that serve to highlight that precise area of uncertainty, of those objects that at first glance seem to be crafted deliberately, but then natural upon reexamination. Between the objects that are clearly ‘something’ and the obvious ‘nothings’ lies a wide spectrum, a gray area full of ‘maybes’.