The Seed vs. The Monument
Traditional archives build monuments: vast, static repositories that require funding and infrastructure to maintain. Archaeobytology prefers the Cultural Seed. A seed is small, localized, and resilient. It survives without a server farm.
A "Cultural Seed" might be:
- A .zip file containing the entire source code and assets of a game.
- A PDF zine explaining how to run a specific type of Mastodon instance.
- A torrent file of a forgotten music scene's complete discography.
Viability Conditions
For a file to function as a seed, it must meet three criteria:
- Self-Contained: It needs no external links to function. (See: Dependency Risk).
- Open Format: It must be readable by basic tools. (See: Open Standards).
- Instructional: It must contain the "metadata of practice"—not just the data, but the rules for how to interpret it.
Field Notes
The "Svalbard" of Code: GitHub's Arctic Code Vault is an attempt to create a physical seed bank for open source software, storing code on silver-halide film in a decommissioned coal mine. It is a recognition that the cloud is ephemeral, but the logic of our civilization needs to survive the reboot.
The "Mod" Community: Video game preservation is often driven by "Cultural Seeding." When a game server shuts down, fans reverse-engineer the server code and distribute it. They take the dead body of the corporate product and extract the seed, planting it in private servers to keep the game alive.
Ephemera
The ultimate goal of the Archaeobytologist is to be a gardener, not a gravedigger. We do not just bury the past; we package it into seeds so that if the internet collapses, the next generation can replant the best parts of it.