Ask Lemmy

Someone dumping some shit might well have had some of the objects much longer than some of the others. And if anything, a person is less likely to be dumping new objects, except for disposable things like beer cans.

I don't know the exact model of the cassette player, but the silver plastic and the rounded bits of the design to me are very late 90's to early 2000's.

My guess is this stuff has only been out there a few years from the general condition.

That ball is way too inflated, it has not been sitting in the sun for over a decade.

If you really like this, it’s not that far off from how archeologists date stuff. Though they collect a lot more datapoints, have more context, and use more references.

Looks like the speakers are a slightly different shape. Maybe it's an updated version?

I think I found the cassette player

Nah. The one in your link has round speaker grilles, while the one in OP's pic have different shaped speaker grilles. Also OP's one is missing the carry handle.

Does seem to be a similar model and likely related to it, but not quite the same.

R/chaeology

Beer can might also have a best before date stamped on the bottom

That tracks with my cassette player estimation: 2002. Presumably they didn't trash it while new, but it doesn't exactly scream quality, so it wouldn't surprise me if it died shortly after the warranty expired.

So if I were to guess: shortly after that bud light can was introduced, so 2005ish.

Questionable parenting with questionable taste in "beer"

I installed pallets of internet cabling in the mid 90s

I don't think its ethernet cable. I think its string trimmer line. Look at the size of the football grips, and consider that they are closer in frame than whatever type of cable that is.

Also, I'm pretty sure that is some species of Galium growing around there, probably maybe Galium arvense? Vining habit, whorled leaves, disturbed spaces, etc.. Its stem is pretty narrow. Much narrower than ethernet cable.

https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/main.php?pg=show-taxon-detail.php&taxonid=4767

While it looks like ethernet I don't see a plug on it, so it could be any ethernet looking cable (coaxial, rj11, etc). Could be wrong though

2000-2010 seems a pretty good guess though, who would throw brand new stuff away

Yeah, I was looking at that cassette player and thought 2002 or thereabouts

Two would be pushing it. The leaves would have matted more and built up in greater amounts. Put out last spring is my estimate: that's one year of detritus.

Assuming this isn't just two feet off the side of a trailhead or something.

That radio looks late 90s to me, possibly even early 2000s. Definitely not 80s.

I think its loony toons? tweety bird?

It's Tweety https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.84726-6/654446445_1589516518970369_8484422416485531821_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s960x960_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=92e707&_nc_ohc=HvKI8mJ011MQ7kNvwFgzqeP&_nc_oc=AdpcumPHZy2lHYbIzskH5FDG4Ar-4UAlWloHcuUCFADO4HZkIEoME3FLcGV-LKYvSFs&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=jIBvg7pJbo6u_xg-c6l9lQ&_nc_ss=7a389&oh=00_AfwY2hUEtVv4AF7vBL8eo4K4WZCDZODCqIZKOD_KnAi27g&oe=69CA81C1

I did solid waste dump responses when I worked for a health department.

When people who can't pay to dump have trash, they dump it in the woods, ravines, forestry roads, etc.

Usually the drive to dump trash is when someone dies and someone else is having to clear out their effects, be it family, a landlord, or some worker. Or someone is evicted from their home, vehicle, or encampment.

Otherwise most people hoard it until they die or are evicted.

Depends on the parents