Glacier and snowpack inventories

GLAS - Glacier Archaeology in Sápmi

Climate change is now a fact of life. We are witnessing the rapid melting of glaciers and snowfields. As the ice and snow melt, so does important archaeological and ecological knowledge about the past and present of humans and animals. In addition, important information from a climate history perspective is lost as the ice melts.

The project website

With the research program GLAS - Glacier Archaeology in Sápmi, we want to register and document the finds that have thawed with regular inventories in the glacier areas.

The program is a collaboration between Ájtte Swedish Mountain and Sámi Museum, Jamtli, Silvermuseet/INSARC, Stockholm University and Norrbotten and Västerbotten County Museums.

You can find more information on the project website. We also tell you what we're up to on the project's Instagram

In the middle of the picture, a piece of glacier ice stretches out. Above the ice there is a clear blue sky and a mountain slope, below water and a gravel slope. In the water you can see a small part of the ice below the surface where it glows turquoise.

The Ekman Glacier. Photo: Markus Fjellström

Old, decaying reindeer horn lies on a rock along with a compass and a GPS.

Gállanvárriglaciären. Photo: Markus Fjellström

Open palm where a small piece of bone lies.

Grayish high mountain environment with lots of rocks, peaks and snow patches. A stream runs in the middle.

Snow patches. Older boundary of Stuorrajiegna and Stuorrajiegaglaciären in the background. Photo: Markus Fjellström