Melting Norway ice reveals 48 prehistoric arrows up to 6,000 years old
Archaeologists in Norway have recovered 48 prehistoric arrows from melting mountain ice, some dating back 6,000 years. The discovery is part of an ongoing effort to preserve artifacts as climate change causes glacial retreat.
Why it matters
This highlights the dual impact of climate change, which is simultaneously destroying historical records while revealing previously inaccessible archaeological treasures.
Norway’s rapidly retreating mountain ice has revealed 48 prehistoric arrows, including one estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,000 years old, as archaeologists race to recover artefacts before exposure to air and sunlight causes them to deteriorate. The discoveries were made during a three-week field expedition in the Jotunheimen mountains, where researchers have been studying archaeological remains preserved in ice for two decades, as per a report by Smithsonian Magazine.The latest finds include a slate arrowhead with parts of its wooden shaft that researchers estimate is 5,000 to 6,000 years old. The findings were made by the Secrets of the Ice project, a collaboration involving Innlandet County Council and the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo.The discoveries come as archaeologists say the character of the material emerging from Norway's mountain ice is changing.
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