1,300-year-old skis found in Norway

In September, archaeologists unearthed a 1,300-year-old ski frozen on top of a mountain in Norway, completing the best-preserved set ever discovered.

In September, researchers discovered a 1,300-year-old ski frozen in ice on top of a mountain in Norway, completing a set hailed by Science Magazine as the “best-preserved prehistoric pair of skis on record.”

In 2014, another crew discovered the first ski on the mountain, five metres distant from the second. According to Science, the new team waited seven years for the ice to melt before discovering the second ski partially exposed inside the melting ice.

Many artefacts have lately been unearthed in frigid, northern locations like Norway, as glacier melting has increased due to climate change, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

According to the Science article, while parts of skis dating back to 6,000 BCE have been discovered, these specific skis are entirely whole, providing unique insights on how such equipment was utilised.

According to the report, the skis had been “extensively restored,” implying that they were valuable and would have been impossible to replace.

“The skis are handcrafted rather than mass-produced.” According to the Smithsonian, “they had a lengthy and separate history of wear and repair before an Iron Age skier used them together and they wound up under the ice,” said Lars Pil of Norway’s Glacier Archaeology Program (GAP).

Archaeologists previously assumed that the bottom of the skis may have been coated with fur to make uphill travel easier, but the researchers uncovered a wide groove in the middle of the freshly discovered ski, a characteristic that would be worthless if fur had been employed.

“Archaeologists have also discovered many cairns that might have been part of an ancient mountain track. They believe the owner of the skis was a hunter, traveller, or both “according to the Smithsonian Institution