Archaeologists from the University Museum of Bergen have uncovered a remarkably preserved 1,500-year-old mass reindeer hunting structure on Aurlandsfjellet mountain in western Norway. The discovery provides unprecedented insight into hunting practices during the late Iron Age.
The hunting complex consists of wooden fences and enclosures that strategically guided wild reindeer into killing pits. Researchers found hundreds of carved wooden stakes forming two main fences that funneled animals toward a central enclosure. The system was designed to capture multiple reindeer simultaneously during seasonal migrations.
Leif Inge Åstveit, the lead archaeologist on the project, described the find as completely unique. He said the preservation level exceeds anything previously discovered from this period in European archaeology. The site contains not only structural elements but also well-preserved artifacts including spears, antlers, and carved wooden objects with intricate patterns.
What makes this discovery particularly valuable is how climate change revealed it. The hunting structure was buried under ice during a cold period approximately 1,500 years ago. Now, as temperatures rise and glaciers retreat, these ancient artifacts are emerging from their frozen preservation.
The timing coincides with a period of growing social complexity in Iron Age Norway. Wealthy settlements were developing in nearby fjord communities like Aurland and Lærdal. Archaeologists now believe reindeer hunting may have played a larger economic role than previously understood, potentially providing surplus resources that supported emerging social hierarchies.
This isn't the first archaeological find emerging from melting ice in Norway. In recent years, researchers have recovered a 3,600-year-old arrow with a mussel shell tip from Jotunheimen, 1,300-year-old skis from Reinheimen, and even a 3,000-year-old leather shoe from Langfonna glacier.
Glaciologist Liss Marie Andreassen from the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate warns that time is limited for these discoveries. As ice melts, exposed artifacts quickly deteriorate when exposed to light and air. Researchers face a race against time to document and preserve these emerging treasures.
The broader context reveals a troubling climate pattern. Since 2006, Norway has lost 364 square kilometers of glacier ice, an area equivalent to Lake Mjøsa, the country's largest lake. Twenty Norwegian glaciers have completely disappeared, including the southernmost glacier in Rogaland and the northernmost in Finnmark.
This hunting structure discovery opens new interpretations about how these complex systems functioned in practice. It provides tangible evidence of sophisticated hunting strategies that sustained communities during a pivotal period in Scandinavian history. As more ice melts, archaeologists expect additional finds that will reshape our understanding of prehistoric Nordic life.
The preservation quality offers rare direct evidence rather than speculative reconstructions. Wooden artifacts that would normally decay over centuries remain intact after millennia in ice. This gives researchers unprecedented access to the actual tools and structures used by Iron Age hunters.
What happens next? The research team continues documentation while conditions allow. Each melting season reveals new artifacts but also accelerates their deterioration. This creates both opportunity and urgency for archaeological work in Norway's changing mountain landscapes.