#1 Caribou Dung
In 1997, hunters in Canada, in the Yukon Territories of Canada found caribou dung that was frozen in the ice and snow. While it doesn’t seem like a very big discovery, it was huge for scientists. The dung gave them the ability to study what these animals ate thousands of years ago. They used the plants, insects, and the pollen spores to determine how these animals lived and ate. This find also showed scientists how the caribou behaved and how the hunters hunted them.
#2 The Atlatl Dart
This is another discovery made in Northern Canada. At least 10,000 years ago, a hunter took aim at an animal using a state of the art hunting weapon, called the atlatl dart. The hunter missed his mark, and the dart was dropped, which froze up with the ice. As the ice patch melted, the dart became visible. Scientists believe that this is the first hunting tool. It was made of willow and it contained markings, which they believe were put there by the weapon’s maker to signify ownership.
#3 The Willow Bow
There are certain areas of Alaska and Canada that have not been explored due to the extreme weather and temperatures. Also, these areas are very remote and they can be difficult to reach. In 2000, a man named Tom Andrews raised money to purchase aerial photographs of the Mackenzie Mountains, which are located in Canada, in the Yukon Territory. In the photos, he found several locations where he believed he would find artifacts frozen in the ice. It took him 5 years to save the money, but when he did, he took a team and helicopters to explore the area. That year, he found fragments of wood inside the ice. One turned out to be a willow hunting bow, which is believed to be 340 years old. He also found several arrows that went with the bow. These arrows were so perfect and detailed, it was difficult to believe that the arrows were made by hand.
#4 Cooper Arrow Head
This is yet another discovery of ancient weapons. This arrow looked like an ancient whaling harpoon, and it had barbs that ran backward down the arrow. The arrow also had a copper tip. Once the arrow went into the animal, it was very hard to remove it. This weapon was handcrafted by a hunter and it was a very complex killing tool. Because it was preserved in ice, it was found with no deterioration.
#5 Shelters
This is an artifact that was not used to hunt prey. It is a piece of willow that was intentionally cut, likely by a hunter. The wood is at least 1,500-year-old. When the shelter was first discovered, scientists believed that the shelter was used to camouflage them while hunting. After more studying, scientists believe that these were the first lean shelters. Hunters would use these shelters to protect themselves from the elements between hunts. The frozen shelter was a huge discovery for scientists who are trying to learn more about early man.
#6 Birch Bark Basket
This amazing discovery was found in 2003 when an archaeologist saw something unusual in a melting patch of ice. When he went to extract the object, he discovered that it was a birch bark basket that was at least 650 years old. It was about 2.3 inches high and 9.8 inches wide. It also had sloping edges. Scientists believe that this basket was used to gather berries and plants to eat.
#7 Gopher Stick
In 2004, archaeologists discovered a tool used by the Native Americans to snare squirrels and gophers. It was a long spruce stave and it had a hook on one end and a point on the other. It was designed to be placed near the squirrel’s nest or the gopher’s bole. Once the animal came out, it would immediately be caught up in the trap. It is estimated that the gopher stick found was at least 1,800 years old.
#8 Otzi
Otzi is the nickname for the well-persevered man who was found by two German tourists. It is believed that he lived around 3,300 BCE. He was found in the Otztal Alps, by Helmut and Erika Simon. They were hiking on the mountain, and the body was found 10,530 feet up the mountain. When the body was removed from the remaining ice, it was taken to a medical examiner for studying. This was an amazing discovery, as scientists were able to learn what people back in those days ate and survived on.
#9 The Long Ago Person
This is one of the most telling and mysterious findings under ice. In 1999, three hikers were in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada when they found the frozen body of a man who had been preserved in the ice since around 1700. This discovery was huge for scientists. The man was found with a walking stick and wearing a fur with a bone through it. Scientists found his torso, left arm, and left hand a bit further away. It appeared that the man was hunting and he fell into a glacier. A full medical exam was performed as well as DNA testing. This discovery answered many questions for scientists who are studying that time period.
#10 Alien Machine in Antarctica
In 2015, alien conspiracy theorists believe that military vehicles were guarding a UFO crash site in the Antarctic. According to many, the crack in the Earth looked as though a UFO skidded to a halt during an emergency landing. It is not known what this hole actually is. Many people say that it is from a UFO and the military is trying to cover it up. Others believe that it is just a crack in the ice underneath the snow.
