Secrets of the Ice

The Archaeology of Glaciers and Ice Patches

Three of the six arrows our team recovered from last week`s site date back to the Early Iron Age, around 1500-2000 years ago. This one was found lying near the edge of the retreating ice.

In fact, all six arrows were discovered near the ice edge, in areas newly exposed by the melt. We’ve already conducted two major surveys here and collected everything that had previously melted out. So when our team returned last week, they only needed to focus on the newly revealed surface closest to the ice. ❄️

Exciting finds like these remind us of how much history is still hidden, waiting to be melt out!
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Oh, this is a nice one: a complete arrow shaft from the Late Neolithic or the Early Bronze Age 4000-3500 years ago❤

This is the second very early arrow shaft that was recovered from our site in the Jotunheimen mountains, after a report from a local mountain hiker that finds had melted out here. More posts coming!🙂
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The field season isn’t quite over yet! 🌞 Last week, we enjoyed a couple of days of warm weather, which melted away the recent snow. We also received an exciting tip from a local mountain hiker who spotted two arrows at one of our sites in the Jotunheimen mountains. Kjetil and Reidar hiked up and made even more discoveries – bringing the total to six arrows!

The arrow in this photo is likely the oldest. Although the arrowhead is missing, the sinew is still tightly wrapped around the front. The slot shape suggests it once had a stone point. This remarkable arrow probably dates back to the Late Neolithic, around 4000 years ago, but it could be even older!

More arrow posts coming up!🙂
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Glacier Archaeologists in the Field

Med brearkeologer ved isen

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