Glacial Archaeology from Central Norway

Glacial Archaeology in Central Norway Background Since 1914 and onwards, more than 180 prehistoric artefacts have been discovered in the mountains of Central Norway on alpine snow patches. Today, as glaciers and snow patches continue to melt with gatherin g speed, more and continually older archaeological finds are appearing on snow patches. These finds and their contexts are the focus of this research proposal. Snow patch finds are best understood within the context of reindeer hunting, which in Norway is as old as the post-glacial colonisation itself. A large number of archaeological studies in different regions tell us how the use of mountain areas, with reindeer hunting as a central element, has been a continuous and multi-faceted aspect of Norwegian prehistory and history up until and including today. Snow patches represent a particular archaeological challenge. They lie in inaccessible and desolate areas where low temperatures make for excellent preservation conditions. The organic remains recove red, such as arrow shafts, bow fragments, clothing and other material elements are unique. The completeness and high level of technological detail associated with these finds open for studies that are usually impossible with materials from usual contexts. Project Frameworks The study will examine two distinct mountain areas in Central Norway. The aim is to explore how over-regional and regional technological impulses were assimilated and/or rejected locally in the Migration Period (400-570 AD). This wil l involve an assessment, registration and mapping of snow patch finds which will then form the basis for a broader study of nature of inter-regional contacts in the Migration Period. Mountain snow patches are undoubtedly high-value archaeological contexts , but they are in danger of disappearing. With this in mind an active field methodology will form an important part of the project which is to include a macro-level mapping and GIS model-building and GPR-surveys.