- 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.