Melting ice patch uncovers ancient hunting arrows

Norway uncovers a ‘hidden collection’ of ancient reindeer hunting arrows from melting ice patch

Archeologists in Norway uncovered a trove of tools exposed from a melting ice patch. The new find comprised of several arrows believed to have been used when hunting reindeer over 6,000 years ago. A leather boot in fairly decent shape was also uncovered. 

This find was at the Langfonne ice patch somewhere in the Jotunheimen Mountains where the artifacts trace back thousands of years. It is highly plausible that the tools were used from the Stone Age through to the Medieval period. The 3300-year-old leather shoe dates back to the Bronze Age. Scaring sticks were also part of the find. 

The new discovery featured in a publication by The Holocene journal, that described it as the largest find of bones, arrows, and reindeer antlers ever uncovered. In addition, this region in central-southern Norway now boasts of the earliest ice find in Northern Europe. 

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Langfonne ice patch

The Jotunheimen Mountains are situated 320 Kilometers from the Capital of Oslo. The arrows were found at the Langfonne ice patch. The archeologists who discovered the arrows decided not to make it public until they completed their fieldwork. 

It’s worth pointing out that the ice path where the arrow find was uncovered has shrunk by 70% over the past two decades. According to a study, global warming is bringing about a dramatic melt of Norway’s ice patches. It is believed that only 10% of what was the Langfonne ice patch back during the Little Ice Age remains. The melt accounts for a wider pattern of receding mountain glaciers across the planet. 

The oldest arrows within the ice patch are in a poor state and date back to 4,000 BC. Arrows from the Late Neolithic period are in much better shape. The latter period is around 2400-1750 BC. 

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According to Secrets on the Ice, the team of explorers recorded every spot of their finds using high-precision GPS. The arrows and other discovered pieces were radiocarbon dated to provide an accurate archeological record. From their findings, they believe some of the oldest arrowheads were damaged by the movement of the ice.

Ph: CNN