Archaeologists in Norway’s Aurlandsfjellet have exposed a 1,500-year-old wooden reindeer trap and numerous hunting artifacts — antlers with cut marks, iron spears, wooden arrows, three bows and an antler brooch — around 4,600 ft (1,400 m) above sea level. The site was likely buried by snow and ice after hunters abandoned it during a mid-sixth-century cooling phase, which helped preserve organic materials. A decorated pine oar found at the site puzzles researchers and will require further study. Scientists note that contemporary glacier melt is revealing more ancient, well-preserved sites across the Nordic region.
1,500-Year-Old Reindeer Trap and Intricately Carved Oar Emerge from Norway’s Melting Mountain Ice
Archaeologists in Norway’s Aurlandsfjellet have exposed a 1,500-year-old wooden reindeer trap and numerous hunting artifacts — antlers with cut marks, iron spears, wooden arrows, three bows and an antler brooch — around 4,600 ft (1,400 m) above sea level. The site was likely buried by snow and ice after hunters abandoned it during a mid-sixth-century cooling phase, which helped preserve organic materials. A decorated pine oar found at the site puzzles researchers and will require further study. Scientists note that contemporary glacier melt is revealing more ancient, well-preserved sites across the Nordic region.
09:48 PM, 11/14/2025Science
Rare Iron Age reindeer trap uncovered as glaciers retreat
High in the Aurlandsfjellet mountains of western Norway, archaeologists have exposed a rare 1,500-year-old reindeer trap and a suite of unusual wooden objects — including a finely carved oar — as ice and snow recede about 4,600 ft (1,400 m) above sea level.
“These are items we would never find in ordinary excavations, including a pine oar and a clothing pin made of antler,” said Leif Inge Åstveit of the University Museum of Bergen in a statement issued by Vestland County Municipality. “The pin is shaped like a miniature axe — truly exceptional finds.”
What was found
Excavations that began in August revealed hundreds of tree branches arranged into two wooden barriers that appear to have formed a mass-trapping facility or hunting blind. Archaeologists also recovered many reindeer antlers close to the installation; every antler bears cut marks consistent with animals being trapped, killed and possibly processed on site.
Artifacts associated with hunting include iron spears, wooden arrows, three bows and a delicate antler brooch shaped like a tiny axe, which may have been accidentally lost during a hunt. The most puzzling item is an intricately carved wooden oar made of pine, found at high altitude; researchers say further study may explain why someone carried an oar so far into the mountains.
Preservation and historical context
Experts believe the trapping complex was preserved thanks to a climatic cooling phase that began in the mid-sixth century. Colder conditions likely increased snowfall and ice, quickly burying the site and protecting organic materials such as wood and antler. The exceptional state of preservation makes this discovery highly unusual in both Norwegian and broader European contexts.
Why it matters
“This discovery opens up entirely new interpretations and understandings of how these facilities functioned,” Åstveit said, noting the research potential of the well-preserved antler and wood materials. The find sheds light on large-scale reindeer-hunting strategies in the Iron Age and will enrich studies of prehistoric hunting technology and mountain use.
Researchers also warned that modern warming is revealing — and threatening — similar ice-covered archaeological sites. In recent years Nordic teams have recovered related high-altitude and glacial finds, including a comparable reindeer-hunting site discovered in 2022, 1,300-year-old wooden skis, a Viking-era horse bridle, and a 1,700-year-old leather sandal as glaciers and icefields melt.
Ongoing work: Excavation and conservation work will continue; researchers plan further analysis of wood species, tool marks and context to better understand how the trap operated and why non-hunting objects like the oar were present.