Messages from the Ancient Ice

Over in Norway, there is an ancient mountain pass on the Lomseggen Ridge.  The Lendbreen mountain pass is 700 meters long and located atop an ice patch, or sheet, which at its highest point is approximately 1,900 meters above sea level. As the ice patch has melted off, it has exposed hundred of artifacts – such as knives, mittens, sleds, ice pegs, shoes and even snowshoes fit for a horse – lying on the bare ground in plain sight. Once the ice covering on the pass had melted to the point where the original path was cleared, scientists, or someone, discovered this bonanza, and for years now there have been surveys every summer to see what else has appeared.

An arrow, made for bird hunting.

An awesome ride over the countryside, up the mountainside and right to the Lendbreen Pass

“The findings are rich,” said Lars Holger Pilo, a Norwegian archaeologist working on the project. “It is obvious that the mountains have been more actively in use than previously believed. Although covered in ice, they have used them to pass, from farms in the area, or from one side of the mountains to the other.”

The program started work on the ice patch at Lendbreen in 2006, but attention increased after a wool tunic, which later was dated to the Bronze Age, was found in 2011. That led to subsequent surveys and discoveries of artifacts such as pieces of sleds, remains of horses and kitchen utensils, suggesting the route was used for trade, hunting and farming.

The findings show the pass was used from about A.D. 300 to 1500, with a peak of activity during the Viking Age in the year 1000 that reflected its importance during a period of long-range trade and commerce in Scandinavia.

The famous tunic

An honest to goodness spear. 

The red dot shows where the spear was discovered.

 Scientists figure it was used either to hunt reindeer, or even protection against other Norsemen, as recommended in this ancient text.

In the ancient Edda poem Hávamál, Odin gives advice on proper behavior for Vikings.

In verse 38 Odin says:

Vápnum sínum skal-a maðr velli á
feti ganga framar,
því at óvíst er at vita,
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs of þörf guma

In modern English:

Let a man never stir on his road a step
without his weapons of war;
for unsure is the knowing when need shall arise
of a spear on the way without

A shoe

Some sort of staff.

A snowshoe for horses.

This video, in Norwegian, with subtitles, on the tunic and how it was made, shows how much work went into just one article of clothing.   Truly astounding how much time and effort, much of it during long dark winters, no doubt, was needed to make something like this.

It's not stated the reason the tunic was there, but I'm suspicious the wearer, who they describe as very skinny, may have been in the process freezing to death.  It is documented that people in this condition sometimes strip naked in the final delusion before death, and given how valuable this shirt was, that might have been what happened.  Or, it could have fallen off a pack or sled.  Less dramatic, but perhaps just as likely.

Via the always good History Blog