They say “everything old is new again,” and that may be true for fashion and hipster trends.

But some things really do change irrevocably with time.

Although I guess the fact that they change at all makes them new, in a way?

Whether they’ve been worn down by weather or by love, things eventually show their age.

Here are 12 examples of times when nature took over.

1. In case you wanted proof of termite damage

Or what the inside of a pencil really looks like.

This old color pencil box after termites ate all the wood
byu/Drship inmildlyinteresting

2. When trees are left unattended

Like goats, they will literally eat anything.

the way this tree grew over the railing
byu/dino-dancers inmildlyinteresting

3. And I mean ANYTHING

Possibly including the children…

Tree Consuming Children … Sign
byu/Ixshanade inmildlyinteresting

4. I mean I knew the trees were hungry, but…

A tornado, I’m guessing?

This truck in a tree I found while driving through the woods
byu/folly136 inmildlyinteresting

5. If you ever had doubts about nature taking over…

Gradually there will be no sign we were ever here.

Can someone give me a jump start? Haven’t driven this thing in a while.
byu/BarnabyWoods inAbandonedPorn

6. Oceans are hungry too

Time and tides, as they say.

This piece of wall that got rounded by the sea
byu/TheCorpseOfMarx inmildlyinteresting

7. If you thought the bricks were cool, check this

Is that lock still attached to a chain?!

This deteriorating combination lock I found at the beach
byu/SweetTaterette inmildlyinteresting

8. It’s true that nothing lasts forever

Not even nature itself.

My rotting Goomba pumpkin looks more like Goomba now than it did when it was freshly carved
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9. You can try to preserve it

But oxidation will win in the end.

A coin taped in my father’s baby book stayed clean under the tape only
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10. Whether it’s the sun doing the damage

And leaving people behind…

My ID left an impression of my ID pic on my badge holder
byu/swiggityswell inmildlyinteresting

11. Or whether it’s the man-made stuff that gets left behind

Okay, maybe they’ll know we were here even eons later.

“Biodegradable” cups that were buried in a composter for 15 years. Everyting else turned to dirt except these.
byu/M1CAustin inassholedesign

12. And as much as nature is taking over

Humans definitely wear things down too.

This display in Ashmolean Museum shows how touching artwork affects material
byu/Newbee_3000 inmildlyinteresting

I love these! It is just so incredibly cool to see what nature can do.

Like the architecture of ancient civilizations that have been covered with earth and lava and the sands of time–maybe some day some future civilization will be excavating our hidden world.

What is your favorite thing that time has tried to erase? Tell us in the comments.