by Neil Carleton
Post office keys, car keys, house keys, and mysterious keys. Two pairs of glasses, clip-on shades, and is that a key chain memory stick? There is a box of lost items at the Almonte Post Office which contains quite an assortment of personal items. They’re all waiting for their owners to present themselves at the counter.
The contents of the lost box at the Almonte Post Office suggest that upwards of twenty people may still be unable to drive home, unlock their front doors, or get their mail.
If this collection of cultural artifacts was unearthed during an archaeological excavation far in the future, I wonder what sort of meaning could be derived. What would an analysis of the metals, fibres, and resins say about the state of our technology, or our environment? How might the design of the objects be interpreted in a cultural context? To a researcher of the future, could these everyday items reveal any details about the social order of our civilization?
In the meantime, the good folks at 55 Mill Street would be happy to match the lost keys and other treasures with their owners from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:45, and on Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00.
