One day more than 3000 years ago, someone lost a shoe in what is now Langfonne in the mountains of Jotunheimen. The shoe is 28 cm long, about the size of a modern size 36 or 37. The owner probably thought the shoe was lost, but on September 17, 2007 it was found again – complete. Sometime around 2000 BCE, a red-wing thrush died at Skirådalskollen in the mountains of Dovrefjell. Its tiny body was soon buried beneath the ice. When it reappeared 4,000 years later, its internal organs are still intact.In recent years, hundreds of such objects have been found in the ice-skating rink, revealing traces of hunting, fishing, automotive, animal and plant life – small, frozen times of the past.
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Norway has always acidic soils, which means that ancient organisms are not well preserved in the soil. Glaciers often move – and crush – what they hide underground. On the other hand, ice patches are stable and as a result create unique biodiversity conservation.”Animal and human fossils have been found that we did not even know existed. It includes everything from horse riding and clothing, to arrows with tips made of shells, planks and feathers. It does not last a year without surprising discoveries. at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) University Museum. He is one of the researchers who followed a new report (in Norwegian with an abbreviated form of English) summarizing the state of knowledge in Norwegian archeology.
The report describes various positive findings but also paints a bleak picture
Only a handful of ice skates have been systematically investigated over time, and they have not been studied at all in northern Norway.Short-term funding leads to a lack of continuous monitoring and retrieval of art objects from ice patches. Some research has been done on findings, but they are no longer valid. During all this time, all this information melts away at a record speed.A more recent survey from the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) shows that 364 square miles of Norwegian ice and ice has melted since 2006.”A study based on satellite imagery taken in 2020 shows that more than 40 percent of the selected 10 ice sheets and known artifacts have melted.”The time has come to establish a national monitoring system using a remote sensor and to systematically protect the archaeological and biological remains from ice patches. how about 7500 years ago, ”he said.
Unimaginable opportunities
The oldest artifact that has emerged from the snow in Norway is the 6100-year-old arrowhead. Like a shoe, it was also found in Langfonne in the Jotunheimen mountains.Findings here and in several other places indicate that these places have been used continuously as a hunting ground for as long as the snow is present. This means that they provide a source of incomparable archeological information.”We are beginning to test whether the snow in some areas may survive the heat following the last frost, which could mean that the sub-ice sheet could be frozen debris since then. This may provide unprecedented opportunities. , ”Said Scar.
“We must remember that the oldest group of people in Norway came from deer hunters in Northern Europe and South Scandinavia near the frozen border, in the latter part of the ice age.Deer are looking for snow spots during the hot, rainy summer weather, and a number of Sami people have also used these places for a variety of purposes, including calf tagging, milking, and animal identification. However, the Sami use of ice inland has not been tested.”The use of the Sami is likely to expand the scope and use of ice fragments. Getting information from these traditional rulers is urgent,” said Shar.
Birds and animals submerged in water
Human activities over the millennium are not the only stories raised by the ice patch. The fossils of animals and plants also provide new details on the ice as the surrounding area, such as deer skeletons from 4,400 years ago that contain complete bone marrow, as well as mammals and a few complete birds.According to JørgenRosvold, the findings are often well documented and can provide genetic information about a few distant species. They can show how species have reacted to climate change and human disruption in the past.Rosvold also contributed to the report. She is a biologist and assistant research director at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA). He explains that ice is one of the least studied and understood biological systems in the world, so we know very little about ice as a habitat.”Our findings show that snow in the mountains has provided valuable habitat for many species of mountains for thousands of years to this day.”We used to think of ice as a waste and inanimate object so it is not very important. That is changing now, but it is urgent. A large amount of unique materials are melting and disappearing forever.
Source Journal Reference: BirgitteSkar, JørgenRosvold, Ivar Berthling, Martin Callanan, KristofferDahle, EspenFinstad, Linda Jarrett, Julian R. Post-Melbye, Erik Norberg, Elizabeth Peacock, Lars Pilø, Morten Ramstad, GeirVatneog Stephen Wickler. Glasialarkeologii Norge (Glacial archaeology in Norway). NTNU Vitenskapsmuseetarkeologisk rapport (NTNU University Museum archaeological report), 2022: 3 [abstract]
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