Ice is a kind of time capsule. In frozen territories such as Alaska, Russia or Norway, the ice has been able to store an infinite number of once-living objects and bodies that project the evolution of life. Thanks to these encapsulated records, remains of extinct animals of which there was no knowledge, and even traces of an entire forest, have been found. Recently in Norway, a number of Iron Age artifacts and clothing were found deep in the snow, objects estimated to be around 6,000 years old.
Like all appreciable traces of human history, these are objects that shed a bit of nostalgia and great beauty. The relics that have recently been exposed are of fundamental historical value, as unlike glaciers, which tend to crush and destroy objects as they move downhill, most of the artifacts found in Norway are recovered from the trace of ice and are found in perfect condition.
This is certainly great news for archaeology. However, the appearance of these artifacts has an unfortunate background, and that is that they managed to be seen due to the ravages of climate change; an arrow, tunics, a wooden ski and other objects found in the Nordic mountains, could not have been found without the gradual melting of the alpine ice.
The ice that is currently melting, and on which great Viking conquerors may have walked, is more than 7,000 years old, according to a recent study. During all this time, the territory remained intact thanks to the fact that there is an ice layer that melts and re-forms periodically and naturally, while on another level lies a layer that the summer heat never reached… until now.
Just like centuries ago, during the Nordic Bronze Age, these places are experiencing sudden climate change. The difference is that back then it was due to natural causes, and in fact the Scandinavians attributed it to a mythological legend called Fimbulwinter. Today, climate change in this region has completely anthropogenic roots.
The discovery of these incredible objects – beyond the archaeological fascination – reveals how much the earth’s temperature is increasing. And that we are probably approaching the predicted irreversible moment of climate change.
*Images: Secrets of the Ice/Oppland County Council