Due to global warming, climatic conditions have changed alarmingly, with temperatures reaching extremely low levels. But can you imagine the secrets buried under the ice for thousands of years? From ancient artifacts and clothing to bodies that appear to have died just hours before. These are some of the most interesting:
1. A huge virus
Russian scientists recently discovered a 30,000-year-old virus in a layer of frozen soil near the Kolyma River in Russia. According to experts, the discovery is not dangerous to humans, but they fear that a virus capable of wiping out the human race may exist deep underground, along with microbes and bacteria resistant to medication. Due to global warming, these viruses could rise to the surface, with potentially fatal consequences.
2. Frozen Inca Girl
In 1999, the body of a girl between 13 and 15 years old was found on the summit of a volcano in the Andes Mountains of Chile. She had been killed by a blow to the head 500 years ago. The girl belonged to the Inca people. Alongside her were found plates of food, statues, and the bodies of two children between 6 and 7 years old. Experts determined that the girl died from a blow to the head and that the two children found with her were part of a ritual.
3. Frozen Mammoth
Yuka is the name of a mammoth found in Russia that lived 39,000 years ago in Siberia. It is a baby mammoth measuring 3 meters long. Because it remained under the ice, its body is well preserved, and its fur is visible. It is believed that this prehistoric animal became trapped in a swamp. Thanks to the temperature, blood could be extracted. For science, this is a major breakthrough because with DNA, the possibility of cloning a mammoth is now a reality.
4. The Ötzi Mummy
This is the story of a man who lived around 3300 BC and whose frozen body was discovered by two mountaineers in 1991. He was named after the Ötz Valley where he was found. His remains are considered unique, as the extreme cold of the area allowed for mummification. He had undigested food in his stomach, and a thorough DNA analysis determined that he still has 19 living relatives.
5. Made in India
A French mountaineer had the good fortune to find an incredible treasure protruding from the ice on one of the routes up Mont Blanc. When he opened it, he discovered around 100 precious stones: rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. The find was valued at $337,000, but the man, who preferred to remain anonymous, turned the box over to the authorities. An investigation revealed that there had been two plane crashes in the area, leading them to believe the precious stones belonged to a jewelry dealer who died in one of the accidents.
6. Vintage clothing
The garment is a tunic made over 1,500 years ago, during the pre-Viking era. It was found next to a glacier in southern Norway. Brown with gray undertones, it was typical Iron Age attire, suitable for someone approximately 1.75 meters tall.
Scientists consider the melting ice due to global warming worrying, but it has uncovered key pieces of history. 1,600 pieces to be exact, including gloves, walking sticks, bows, and arrowheads from the Viking Age.
7. Wreckage of an airplane
In 1952, a military plane carrying 41 passengers and 11 crew members crashed in Alaska. Sixty years later, the wreckage was found atop a glacier. In 2012, National Guard personnel spotted parts of the plane while training in a helicopter in the Gannett Mountain area. Seventeen soldiers' bodies have been recovered, and the search for the remaining victims continues, hampered by challenging weather conditions.
8. Hanging soldiers
It happened in the Italian province of Trento, a town of approximately 1,900 inhabitants, who have witnessed the discovery of the bodies of soldiers found in the mountains, combatants from the First World War. Around 750,000 Italian soldiers died in the battle; they lay buried for 100 years, mummified by the extremely low temperatures. However, with the thaw, the bodies began to emerge.
9. Ancient Forest
According to scientists, approximately 2,000 years ago a tsunami devastated a forest in Alaska. With the arrival of the Ice Age, the Mendenhall Glacier formed, eventually burying the ecosystem under kilometers of ice. In 2014, tree trunks began to emerge due to the melting of Arctic ice.
10. Woolly rhinoceros