To Dig or Preserve

[Unitof1]

I agree

everyone on here should be aware of how quickly material degrades once it comes out of the nice stable soil.

I would go further and suggest that all materials and records and archive are in an almost vertical decline once out of the ground as well
but

If something is just under the ground in an area of very underexploited countryside it will probably survive quite nicely

I see this as impossible to know and if I was to base a judgment based on whats observed on material out of the ground I would argue that all material and contexts in the ground are in the same rate of decline if not greater given the unknowingness of under the groundness must surely be.