Melting Mountain Ice Is Bringing Ancient Secrets to the Surface. Archaeologists Are Racing to Find the Artifacts Before They're Lost to Time
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As global temperatures rise, melting ice in Norway's mountains is revealing ancient artifacts that archaeologists are racing to recover. The Secrets of the Ice program has uncovered around 4,500 items, including the oldest wooden skis and a Bronze Age arrowhead. These discoveries are crucial for understanding human history, but the artifacts are at risk of degradation as they emerge from their icy preservation.
- ▪Melting ice in Norway is revealing ancient artifacts as temperatures rise globally.
- ▪The Secrets of the Ice program has found approximately 4,500 artifacts, including wooden skis and a Bronze Age arrowhead.
- ▪Artifacts are vulnerable to decay once they emerge from ice, prompting urgent archaeological efforts.
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| Original publisher | Smithsonian Magazine |
| Canonical URL | https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/melting-mountain-ice-is-bringing-ancient-secrets-to-the-surface-archaeologists-are-racing-to-find-the-artifacts-before-theyre-lost-to-time-180988777/ |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 18:52:04 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-21T19:06:35.671Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-21T19:06:35.671Z |
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Melting Mountain Ice Is Bringing Ancient Secrets to the Surface. Archaeologists Are Racing to Find the Artifacts Before They’re Lost to Time In Norway’s highest mountains, experts are scouring perilous terrain for pieces of the past, long stored in mint condition in ice patches. As temperatures rise across the world, glacial archaeologists must find the emerging artifacts before they degrade forever Anna Fiorentino | Freelance writer May 21, 2026 2:52 p.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source This arrow with a pressure-flaked arrowhead made from gray quartzite dates to the Late Stone Age or Bronze Age and was found on Norway’s ice. The pitch and the animal sinew used to fasten the arrowhead are still preserved, which is exceptionally rare.
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