OSLO, NORWAY—An ancient arrow complete with iron arrowhead, tightly wrapped sinew, tar, thread, and feather fletching has been recovered from a glacier in southern Norway, according to a Live Science report. The arrow, thought to have been lost by a hunter who had traveled to the mountains in search of reindeer, measures more than 30 inches long. “It is probably the best-preserved arrow we have found so far,” commented archaeologist Lars Pilø of the Innlandet County Council Glacier Archaeology Program. Researchers will attempt to determine the type of wood used to make the arrow shaft, and what species contributed the feathers and sinews, but they have decided against taking samples for radiocarbon dating. Instead, the artifact has been dated to between A.D. 300 and 600, based upon comparisons with similar weapons recovered from bogs in Denmark and graves in southern Norway, Pilø added. To read about other artifacts that have emerged from Norway’s icy mountains, go to “Letter from Norway: The Big Melt.”
