Switzerland’s melting glaciers reveal ancient secrets

Grand Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland [Credit: Wikipedia]

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Of course this strongly suggests there were earlier times in the not-so-distant past when the climate in Switzerland was warmer than today. In fact it’s no secret that glacier advance and retreat, maybe even complete disappearance on occasions, has occurred multiple times in this area, as noted in this 2020 study for example. No point in getting over-emotional about glacier retreat and trying to blame human activities. If it’s going to happen, it will, as it did before.
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From Bronze Age weapons to ancient animal remains, Switzerland’s melting glaciers are yielding remarkable discoveries, says Swissinfo.

Glacier archaeologist Marcel Cornelissen is among the researchers racing to recover and study them before the ice disappears.

“Glaciers are treasure troves,” says Cornelissen, who works as a freelance archaeologist.

His job frequently takes him high up into the Alps, where important artefacts emerging from the melting ice offer unique insights into the past.
. . .
For Cornelissan, glacial ice is a unique archive of the past. The fact that this archive is disappearing at an ever-faster rate is a cause for concern.

In 20 years’ time, scientists may have many new methods for analysing both the ice and the objects preserved within it. By then, however, far less glacial ice may remain.

“A great deal of archaeological knowledge is being lost,” says Cornelissen.

Full article here.
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Image: Grand Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland [credit: Wikipedia]