Intrepid aliens discover Earth. They find an uninhabited planet, with unusual yet magnificent formations. Their (equivalent of) chemists / geologists / archaeologists investigate these structures and find large deposits of polymerized hydro-carbons.
They wonder; what would have done this, and why? These simple questions become a great (scientific) mystery! What natural process could have done this, or if it was an intelligent lifeform, why would they do it?!?
They have many theories, each as implausible as the next.
- The Earth-lings may have imagined that a deity placed the hydro-carbons within the Earth as a gift, and gratitude could be shown by making small trinkets from it.
- Hydro-carbon wrapping was used as protection (but protection from what?) .
- Evolution had programmed them with a fetish for wrapping small objects in this hydrocarbons.
Our legacy, as carried on in these aliens history books will be of landfills and plastic…