Secrets of the Ice is the public face of the Glacier Archaeology Program, a joint initiative by Innlandet County Council and the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway. Our mission is twofold: to rescue artefacts emerging from melting mountain ice in Innlandet County and to conduct scientific research on these sites and finds.
In addition, we are committed to raising public awareness about glacial archaeology and climate change through our website, social media, exhibitions, news media, podcasts, and other outreach efforts. The Norwegian Mountain Museum and Climate Park 2469 are our main partners in the dissemination effort, through their exhibitions and outdoor arenas.
The impact of human-induced climate change became evident in our high mountains in the early 2000s. In 2006, a significant melt event exposed hundreds of artefacts, prompting Oppland County Council (now Innlandet County Council) and the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo to join forces. Since then, our program has worked tirelessly to preserve these emerging historical treasures. The program secured permanent funding in 2011 and received an additional economic boost in 2024, allowing us to expand our efforts in artefact rescue, research, and public outreach.
2006: A Watershed Year for Glacial Archaeology in Innlandet
If you came straight here, you may want to read this post about the pre-2006 ice finds first. After two winters of heavy snow in 2004 and 2005, the summer of 2006 was exceptionally warm. By September,…
Ice Finds Before the Secrets of the Ice Program
It was the big melt in 2006 and the many archaeological finds emerging from the glacial ice then, which made us aware that something was going on in our high mountains in Innlandet County, Norway. However, Innlandet…