Cold Case: 7,000-Year-Old Artifacts Found Buried in Ice Patches at Park in Canada Stun Researchers
Archaeologists went through several ice patches in Canada and discovered dozens of ancient artifacts spanning 7,000 years. The research took place in 2019, at Mount Edziza Provincial Park, according to a study published on October 31, in the Journal of Field Archaeology, the Miami Herald reported.
The team that took upon the research included Duncan McLaren, Brendan Gray, Rosemary Loring, Ts̱ēmā Igharas Igharas, Rolf Mathewes, Lesli Louie, Megan Doxsey-Whitfield, Genevieve Hill and Kendrick Marr, the Miami Herald reported.
The ice patches were easier for researchers to delve into because there had been two winters with "extremely low snowpack," in the area, the Miami Herald reported. In the past, scientists have noted many “vast obsidian quarries” and obsidian artifacts in the park.
The nearby ice patches had always been an intriguing prospect for experts. However, exploring the patches was always a difficult endeavor because of the density of snow in the area.
The low snowpack in the previous two winters along with the melting that happened under the summer sun, helped researchers in their objective, Miami Herald reported. The team went through nine patches and found 56 perishable artifacts, the study said.
Many of the items dated as far as 7,000 years back, and belonged to the Tahltan First Nations.
The park is an "extremely significant" place for Tahltan, one of Canada’s Indigenous First Nations, the study said, the Miami Herald reported. For centuries, the group used the mountains for seasonal hunts and continues the practice to this day.
The researchers found two bark containers with stitches in the patches, the Miami Herald reported. On analysis, it was revealed that the bark is 2,000 years old and was folded with two rows of stitching along one side.
The other bark container had sticks stitched into its sides, implying that the structure was made to transport heavy goods, the Miami Herald reported. As per researchers, the container was around 1,400 years old.
"Most of the perishable artifacts were manufactured from wood, including birch bark containers, projectile shafts, and walking staffs," researchers said, the Miami Herald reported. Other artifacts were made "using animal remains include a stitched hide boot and carved antler and bone tools."
The researchers found a 5,300-year-old antler shaped like an ice pick in one of the ice patches, the Miami Herald reported. In the three arms of the antler, one was sharpened, the other was blunt and the final one was broken.
Another item found in the exploration was a shoe described by McLaren as a moccasin-like boot, distinguished by its complex stitching and flaps, The Archaeologist reported. The shoe revealed how, Tahltan hunters, crafted items following the climate in the area.
These items will help experts in understanding the lifestyle of people who lived thousands of years ago in those lands, The Archaeologist reported. The team noted an abundance of obsidian, a volcanic glass forged from cooled lava scattered across the Kitsu Plateau.
The perishable artifacts from the ice patches were surrounded by countless numbers of obsidian, a volcanic glass forged from cooled lava, according to the study, The Archaeologist reported.
The sparkling obsidian was so overwhelming that it became difficult for the researchers to focus on the findings in the ice patches, The Archaeologist reported. The team quickly adjusted their eyes, to find the organic artifacts concealed among this radiant treasure.
The condition of the preserved artifacts was exceptional for the amount of time that had passed, The Archaeologist reported. As per the researchers, this is due to the remote location of the ice patches where they were buried, which has kept visitor numbers low and aided in their protection and conservation.
The artifacts were taken to a museum in British Columbia and kept in a "climate-controlled" condition for further study, the Miami Herald reported.