Scientists Discover 6,000-Year-Old Artifacts in Norwegian Mountains

The objects were able to be found amid global warming that has resulted in the melting of perennial ice patches in various regions of the world, including the mountains of Jotunheimen and Oppland in Norway.

A team of glacial archaeologists has found many ancient artifacts in Norway that would have otherwise stayed hidden under the glacial ice for decades to come.

Some of the artifacts, that gave scientists unique information about the hunting techniques of ancient people, are about 6,000 years old.

As a result of the thorough examination of the discovered objects, archeologists came to the conclusion that a cold period from 536 to 660 AD was one of the busiest hunting periods in the Oppland region.

"One such pattern which really surprised us was the possible increase in activity in the period known as the Late Antique Little Ice Age (c. 536 — 660 AD)," Dr. James H. Barrett, senior environmental archeologist at the McDonald Institute for Archeological Research at the University of Cambridge said, cited by Doonwire.

According to the researcher, unwelcome weather conditions during that time most likely had a negative impact on agriculture activities, forcing people to start hunting for food instead.

Another active period for hunting turned out to be the so called Viking Age (the time period between the eighth and tenth centuries AD).

This was an era characterized by a rapid rise of the population, trade and people's mobility which led to the emergence of new cities and, thus, new markets for reindeer products.

The research was published in Royal Society Open Science.