Issue 24th April 2025 Archaeological Discoveries (Europa 2025)

Climate change is accelerating the melting of glaciers, revealing a growing number of ancient archaeological finds, some dating back to the Bronze Age. In Lom, Norway's oldest shoes have been uncovered due to melting glaciers, and in 2019, a 16th-century dog skeleton was discovered on the glacier between Lom and Skjåk.

At the Norwegian Mountain Centre in Lom, visitors can explore an impressive display of 100 significant finds, including arrowheads that are up to 6,100 years old. One notable discovery is a 3,600-year-old arrow with a tip made from a river clam, found in Jotunheimen. This arrow is the best-preserved of its kind in Norway and has attracted international attention. 
In 2014, an almost complete 7th-century ski was found at Digervarden in Reinheimen National Park. In 2021, the second ski was discovered, completing the world's best-preserved historic pair of skis. The find raises questions about the skier's fate and why the skis were left behind.

Archaeological finds are often found in the ice because ancient people hunted reindeer on glacial surfaces and crossed mountainous regions that were covered in ice. Items that were lost or thrown have been preserved in the ice ever since. The ice serves as a vast freezing repository, but as it shifts, it can damage or destroy the artifacts trapped within. As a result, artifacts retrieved from glaciers are typically from more recent periods.