Cudney, Z. 'Subterranean Svalbard: Mining histories, planetary futures, and the Arctic World Archive.' (Paper presented, Earth's Subsurface: New STS Research, Society for the Social Study of Science, Toronto, 2026).

In the 18th century, proponents of the ‘Hollow Earth’ theory believed that there were giant holes at both poles which opened up into Earth’s interior. Today, subterranean space in the Arctic is seen as opening up onto the world in a very different way; in the Arctic World Archive, an array of humanity’s cultural, scientific, and civic heritage is stored deep underground. Located in ‘Gruve 3,’ a decommissioned coal mine outside of Longyearbyen, Svalbard, the AWA is an ultra-long term data preservation project which stores digital data on analog reels of silver halide film. Individuals and institutions from Norway, Brazil, Nigeria, Vatican City, India, and dozens of other countries have deposited memories into the AWA, with the 2026 ‘depositing ceremony’ being the largest yet since the AWA opened in 2017. While the geographic isolation and Arctic environment of Svalbard are key aspects of the AWA’s brand, the subterranean setting of the decommissioned mine plays a central role in both the practical conditions for data storage and the affective experience of those visiting to deposit their memories. Drawing on field work conducted in spring of 2026, this paper presents preliminary findings on the intersections between cultural memory, affective encounters, subterranean spaces, and the geo(logic)-politics on Svalbard. Given that the last Norwegian coal mine on Svalbard closed in 2025, mines are gaining new life as heritage sites and memory infrastructures. But they also are informed by past and present entanglements between science, technology, culture, and politics in subterranean Arctic spaces.