Archaeologists working in the icy peaks of western Norway have made a stunning discovery: an incredibly well-preserved 1,500-year-old site used for trapping reindeer, complete with a trove of rare and puzzling wooden artifacts. The find offers a vivid snapshot of ancient hunting practices in a landscape now known more for its dramatic scenery than its survival resources.
A High-Altitude Hunting Ground Revealed
The discoveries were made during excavations at the Aurlandsfjellet archaeological site, a popular high-mountain tourist route, where researchers have been active since August. According to a statement from Vestland County Municipality, the team found hundreds of tree branches systematically piled into two long wooden barricades. Experts believe these structures functioned as a hunting blind or a corral, designed to channel and trap reindeer effectively.
This remote vista, now a scenic attraction, once served as a vital hunting ground long before it featured on modern travel itineraries. The site's exceptional preservation is attributed to a period of climatic and ideological cooling in the mid-sixth century. Colder weather likely brought heavier snow and ice, which may have driven hunters away and quickly entombed the structures, sealing them for centuries.
Mysterious Artifacts from the Ice
Among the most intriguing finds are objects rarely seen in ordinary digs. Leif Inge Åstveit, an archaeologist at the University Museum of Bergen, highlighted the rarity of items like a finely crafted pine oar and a clothing pin shaped like a miniature axe, made from antler. The presence of the oar is particularly baffling, given its location at about 4,600 feet above sea level, far from any body of water.
Direct evidence of hunting was abundant. Archaeologists recovered a large number of reindeer antlers near the trapping facility, bearing clear cut marks that indicate the animals were trapped, killed, and processed on-site. Additional tools linked to the hunt were found nearby, including iron spearheads, wooden arrows, and three bows. The miniature axe-shaped brooch is thought to have been accidentally dropped by a hunter during the activity.
Climate Change and Future Insights
This discovery is part of a growing trend enabled by global warming, as melting ice and retreating glaciers reveal objects long sealed in frozen tombs. Similar finds in Norway's mountains in recent years have included ancient wooden skis and centuries-old leather sandals.
"This discovery opens up entirely new interpretations of how these facilities functioned," said Åstveit. The unusually intact state of the antler and wooden materials will provide invaluable data for future research. While most artifacts clearly connect to reindeer hunting, the carved wooden oar remains an enigma. Archaeologists hope that further analysis in the coming years will shed light on how and why it ended up high in the mountains.
The find at Aurlandsfjellet is a powerful reminder of the transient nature of human landscapes, where today's travel destination was yesterday's crucial survival site, now whispering its secrets as the ice reluctantly lets go.
