Archaeologists are finding mysterious ancient objects on Norway's melting glaciers. Take a look.
Johan Wildhagen/Palookaville
- Norway's melting glaciers are revealing objects from the Stone Age, Iron Age, Medieval, and Viking eras.
- Some ancient artifacts are mysteries, but they still indicate trade routes through the mountains.
- Here's what Norway's glacial archaeologists found in the meltiest part of last summer.
Mysterious and fascinating artifacts are surfacing on melting glaciers across the planet.
From ancient human remains to strange wooden tools and statues, these objects are drawing archaeologists into the high, frozen mountains each year.
Norway is at the forefront of this emerging field of research, called glacial archaeology. With about 4,500 artifacts discovered, the country claims more than half of the planet's glacial archaeology findings, according to Espen Finstad, who co-leads the Norwegian program, called Secrets of the Ice.
Archaeologists there are piecing together clues about ancient industries and trade routes across the glaciers.
They just had one of their best field seasons yet. Here's what they found.
Andreas Christoffer Nilsson, secretsoftheice.com
Ancient hunting, travel, and trade routes crossed the mountains between the Norwegian coast and inland areas since the Stone Age.
"We are lucky that some of these trade routes have gone over ice," Finstad told Business Insider.
Glacier Archaeology Program
As humans have burned fossil fuels for energy, releasing heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, global temperatures have been rising for decades. Glaciers everywhere are melting, releasing the ancient artifacts preserved inside them.
Johan Wildhagen/Palookaville
Innlandet County Municipality, Secrets of the Ice
Espen Finstad, secretsoftheice.com
"There are so many treasures in the ice there," Finstad said.
Lendbreen was a common travel route during the Viking and Medieval eras. The archaeologists go there almost every year.
Espen Finstad, secretsoftheice.com
"The melting really came rapidly at the end of the season," Finstad said.
Glacier Archaeology Program, Innlandet County Council
Innlandet County Municipality, Secrets of the Ice
They stayed there about nine days, Finstad said.
Espen Finstad, secretsoftheice.com
One of them was just lying on top of the ice, waiting to be found. Usually there's a little excavation involved, but the archaeologists simply picked this arrow up.
"It's very seldom to find them that well preserved on the ice. So it was kind of a gift. It was very beautiful," Finstad said.
Glacier Archaeology Program, Innlandet County Council
People hunted for their own food, of course, but also to sell in a market.
Espen Finstad, secretsoftheice.com
For example, some arrowheads found on the glaciers have tips made from river mussels that must have come from far away, cluing researchers in to just how far people were traveling and trading over the ages.
Museum of Cultural History
Fletching is delicate and doesn't usually last thousands of years. These were rare findings.
Kathrine Stene, secretsoftheice.com
Small bits of wood, leather, and textile are often impossible to identify.
Øystein Rønning Andersen, secretsoftheice.com
"It's all kind of small things, daily life things from the Viking Age or older, which you don't find in other archaeology contexts at least in Norway, because it's gone. It degrades," Finstad said.
May-Tove Smiseth, secretsoftheice.com
"We are excited to go back," Finstad said.