Viking sword found in melting glacier

A melting glacier in Norway has exposed a Viking sword from the ninth century, discovered at about 1,640 meters above sea level by a reindeer hunter in the former county of Oppland. The nearly intact weapon is now being studied by the Oslo Museum of Cultural History, which has dated its creation to between 800 and 950 AD.

Preserved artifacts in the Lendbreen pass

The sword was found near the Lendbreen pass, a high-altitude route that has yielded over 1,000 well-preserved artifacts. These include textiles, shoes, tools, and horse bones, suggesting the pass was used continuously between 300 and 1500 AD, with the most intense activity around the year 1000. The ice helped preserve these items by acting like a large freezer.

Discovery begins in 2011

The first clear signs of this preservation were noticed in the summer of 2011, a warm year that caused ice to melt and expose ancient items. Since then, more than sixty objects have been dated using radiocarbon methods, showing that the pass was used from about 300 to 1500 AD, with a peak around 1000.

Evidence of organized travel

The Lendbreen pass was not just a random path. Cairns, or stone piles, marked the route, and a stone shelter at the highest point offered protection from the weather. These features indicate that the pass was used in an organized and planned way, as noted in a study published in the journal Antiquity by Lars Holger Pilø and his team.

Dual purpose of the pass

According to James Barrett, an archaeologist at the University of Cambridge and co-author of the study, the pass had two main uses. It connected distant regions and also facilitated seasonal travel between lowland farms and high-altitude pastures. A walking stick with a runic inscription found at the site confirms that individuals used the path regularly.

Climate change reveals ancient secrets

Global warming is causing Norwegian glaciers to melt, exposing objects that had been hidden for centuries. Each warmer summer allows archaeologists to uncover more artifacts, helping to map out these ancient mountain routes. The extent of what remains hidden beneath the melting ice is still unknown.