Melting mountain ice reveals 1,500-year-old hunting trap still smelling of reindeer

wooden trap system
The wooden trap system stretched across the mountainside, funneling animals into a narrow enclosure. (Thomas Bruen Olsen, Universitetsmuseet, UiB; Leif Inge Åstveit, Universitetsmuseet, UiB)

An ancient reindeer trap and weapons recently emerged from Norway’s melting mountains, surprising archaeologists and giving them a glimpse into mountain life 1,500 years ago.

The discovery, announced by the Vestland County Municipality on Nov. 10, was made on the Aurlandsfjellet plateau in Sogn, a remote region in western Norway. Archaeologists from the University Museum of Bergen and Vestland County worked together to document the site. 

The research began when a hiker noticed wooden logs near the melting ice and reported them to local authorities.

Read Full Article