Melting snows in Norway reveal ancient artifacts: Hikers warned

As the portal sciencenorway.no reminds us, in 2014, the summer in Norway was exceptionally dry and warm, which caused the melting snow in the mountains of the Møre og Romsdal region in the west of the country to reveal many ancient artefacts. Scientists frequently received reports of new discoveries.

According to the researchers, a similar situation could occur this year, as the summer has brought similar conditions, and there is little snow in the mountains. Therefore, archaeologists have urged hikers to look around and pay particular attention to what emerges from the melting snowdrifts, as there might be real treasures there.

Pay special attention to melting snowdrifts and areas known for hunting and trapping sites, archaeologists Guro Dehli Sanden and Kristoffer Dahle, quoted by sciencenorway.no, advised.

Ongoing climate changes have led to fascinating discoveries becoming increasingly common. A decade ago, while studying the melting snow cover on Digervarden mountain (southern Norway), researchers found a wooden ski from before the Viking Age. Interestingly, it was almost undamaged.

The Norwegian portal also recalls that among the finds were an ancient wooden shovel, dated between 160 and 350 AD, and "scare sticks," which moved in the wind and emitted loud sounds. Ancient hunters used them.

However, many more similar examples have been found. These include swords from the Viking Age, arrowheads, wooden rattles, and archaic leather shoes.

According to the researchers, anyone who comes across an interesting object that might be of historical significance should take a photo of the find spot and record the GPS coordinates.

If you find artefacts that are damp, it’s important to prevent them from drying out. Store them in a cool place, like a fridge or cellar. If the items are antlers or bones, the archaeologists advise putting them in the freezer., the archaeologists, quoted by sciencenorway.no, advise.