Archaeologists awarded for preserving ancient artefacts from melting ice

They have found arrowheads and hunting tools from the Bronze Age and the Viking Age.

Forgotten mountain routes, with traces of humans and animals.

A pair of skis from the Viking Age – first one, and a few years later, the other.

Next year marks 20 years since their work began, securing artefacts that are melting out of the ice in Norwegian mountains.

The work is groundbreaking, according to the jury that has awarded the glacier archaeology programme Secrets of the Ice the European Heritage Award this year.

The jury writes that the archaeologists highlight 'the urgent impact of climate change in high-altitude archaeology' and believes their methods are internationally significant.

Award-winning research

The award is presented by the European Commission and the heritage organisation Europa Nostra.

"This is very exciting. Receiving one of the most prestigious awards related to European cultural heritage is great, fun, and inspiring," Espen Finstad tells Science Norway.

He is one of the glacier archaeologists leading the preservation program Secrets of the Ice in Innlandet County Municipality.

A total of 251 projects were reviewed by the jury, and 30 winners were selected.

Secrets of the Ice will receive the award for the research category.

"In some places, the work of securing finds from the ice relies heavily on volunteers – people going out and picking up what they find," says Finstad.

"Our success lies in professionalising the work. When you approach it systematically over time, you get results. We preserve the finds, we study them, and we share what we learn," he says.

Hunting and travel in the wildest places

Secrets of the Ice has documented over 4,500 artefacts – which make up more than half of the world's glacier archaeological finds, according to the press release about the award.

"I never imagined the scale, variety, and sheer wonder of the finds when we first began," says Finstad.

Finstad says it’s hard to choose highlights from the project, but one of the more remarkable aspects has been uncovering ancient travel routes across the mountains. 

"The material is incredibly diverse. It's not just arrows and hunting gear, but dead horses, clothing, shoes, and everyday objects," he says.

"There had been finds in the area before, but it wasn't widely understood that they were related to travel," the archaeologist explains.

These perspectives have become central in the scientific articles that helped form the basis for the award the researchers are now receiving.

"Our finds related to hunting and travel in some of the wildest places show just how significant these mountain areas once were," says Finstad.

"The mountains haven't just been remote and isolated areas – people have hunted and travelled through them for thousands of years," he says.

From a single shoe to a preservation programme

In 2006, mountain hiker and amateur archaeologist Reidar Marstein found a shoe in the mountainous area Jotunheimen. It turned out to be Norway's oldest shoe: 3,500 years old, dating back to the Bronze Age.

That discovery became the starting point for what would become the Secrets of the Ice programme, according to Finstad.

"That autumn, the ice was melting rapidly. We organised our first archaeological expedition into the mountains," he says.

The archaeologists split into three teams and headed into Breheimen, Jotunheimen, and Reinheimen. They met again in the evening and shared what they had seen.

"We sat there wide-eyed, realising we had a massive job ahead of us," he says.

Large areas still untouched

The glacier archaeology team in Innlandet has identified 71 known sites with archaeological finds.

But when they look at the map, they estimate that there are at least 150 more sites that need to be explored.

"And every year, new ones appear. There are still large areas where there may be objects, but we haven't been to yet," says Finstad.

With a large international following on social media, Secrets of the Ice receives thousands of likes and comments on nearly everything the archaeologists share.

"We have a large network and we're good at communication, but winning an award like this could open even more doors," Finstad hopes.

"Most importantly, it helps raise awareness about climate change and vulnerability," he adds.

The preservation programme is publicly funded, with support from both the state and the county municipality.

"Everyone chips in a little. It's not much, but it's something. Recognition like this award is important for keeping awareness high, to show that this is still worth investing in. The ice just keeps melting," says the glacier archaeologist.

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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik

Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no

Related content:

Why was this flimsy Roman-looking sandal buried beneath the snow in an ancient, dangerous Norwegian mountain pass?

A 1,300-year-old arrow and horse dung have emerged from a melting Norwegian glacier

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