archaeologist with the Secrets of the Ice project have discovered an ancient pointer that was preserved in frosting for 3,000 years . The specimen expose its quartzite head , the character used to tighten it to the tool , and the pointer ’s feather fletching . It is a remarkable find .

TheSecrets of the Ice projectis run by archeologist who rescue artefact from the Jotunheimen Mountains of central Norway ’s Oppland region . Over the last tenner , the team has recovered grand of specimens from glaciers and ice patches that are melt because of climate change . As the icemelts , it is revealing more and more information about ancient people who used to hunt and survive in these mountain .

Although the cloth reveal by the disappearing ice is knuckle under surprisingly uphold artifact , it is nevertheless a complicated situation . Not only is this the result of human impact on the major planet , but the newly exposed artefact themselves can quickly deteriorate if they are not recovered quickly .

The arrow was attain on September 13 , 2023 , by Espen Finstad , an Ice glacial archeologist who was monitoring a newly expose area along the edge of the methamphetamine .

According to their depth psychology , the arrow beam is made of birch , and it still had its fletching – the feathery bits at the end of the pointer that help stabilise its flight . Under normal conditions , the fletching on diachronic arrows would decompose out over metre , but this example is wholly preserved .

The pointer ’s head is made fromquartzite , which comes from crystal - rich sandstone or chert that has been exposed to high temperatures and pressures . The headspring has been covered in sales pitch , probably from birch fusain , which was used to facilitate batten down it to the smooth pointer shaft .

“ Arrows with preserved arrowheads still bond are not uncommon during the Iron Age on our internal-combustion engine sites , ” Lars Pilø , the archaeologist who heads the Secrets of the Ice project , toldLive Science , “ but this former they are very rare . "

Although its details are well preserved , the arrow itself has not remained whole . It is potential that the pressure of the ice caused it to bust into three distinct pieces .

It is probable that this pointer was used for hunting reindeer . It and similar discoveries are extremely of import for diachronic research . They provide a wide range of information for archaeologist , which can separate us about hunting conduct in these mellow - altitude locations .