The ski complements a similar one that was already discovered in 2014. Together they form the best-preserved pair of skis known to us from prehistoric times!

About seven years ago, a 1,300-year-old ski lath was found in Digervarden, Norway. The ski turned out to be remarkably well preserved. So it was still completely intact, including the foot binding. Expectations have been high ever since. Because could there also be the corresponding second ski bar hidden in the same ice?

Icefield

Researchers have been keeping a close eye on the ice sheet ever since. Because after the first ski lath had been found, it was hoped and prayed that the second lath of the pair would also appear in the ice. “We returned to the area in 2016, but the ice hadn’t receded much by then,” the researchers write. “This year, satellite images revealed that the ice sheet had melted more than in 2014. So we decided to send an archaeologist out.”

The prehistoric ski discovered in 2014. Image: Aud Hole, secretsoftheice.com

Archaeologist Runar Hole and his travel companion Bjørn Hessen set out in search of the second, ancient ski lath that may have been buried in the ice. They returned with an enthusiastic report. Because the researchers had indeed seen a second ski close to where the first was discovered – about five meters away. However, the ski was still firmly stuck in the ice. And so, six days later, with a large team equipped with ice axes, they decided to return to the auspicious spot to safely free the ski from the ice.

Researchers are hacking their way to the ski. Image: Espen Finstad, secretsoftheice.com

Couple

With the help of heated water that the researchers poured onto the ice, they eventually managed to pull the ski slat out of the ice. The moment of truth came when they turned the bar around and the foot binding appeared. And to my delight, the foot binding turned out to be the same as on the ski slat found in 2014. It means that both skis do indeed pair up, which were lost together some 1,300 years ago.

Characteristics
The newly discovered ski turns out to be of the same type as the one previously found. It is a fairly wide crossbar, with a raised support and a well-preserved foot binding, just like the one found in 2014. The new ski is 187 centimeters long and 17 centimeters wide. This makes it 17 centimeters longer and 2 centimeters wider than the first ski.

Dimensions of the newly discovered ski batten. Image: Espen Finstad, secretsoftheice.com

Remarkably, this second, complementary ski is in better condition than the first. According to the researchers, this is most likely due to the fact that this lath was buried about four to five meters deeper in the ice. That would also explain the size differences between the two skis, they suspect.

Best preserved prehistoric skis

It is very special that the second ski of the prehistoric pair has now also been found. Together they form the best-preserved pair of skis known to us from prehistoric times. In addition, prehistoric skis with preserved foot bindings are extremely rare. And those connections are crucial. Without binding it is much more difficult to find out how the ski was used.

Identical

Incidentally, the skis are not completely identical to each other. “But we shouldn’t expect that either,” the researchers said. The skis are handmade and not mass produced. In addition, they were each worn and repaired in their own way, before falling into the ice some 1,300 years ago.

What happened to the skier?

A pressing question that cannot be avoided with the discovery of the skis is what happened to their owner. Did the skier deliberately leave them behind, perhaps due to a sudden snowfall? Or has there been an accident and the skier fell and died? In that case, this ill-fated person could still be buried in the ice on the Norwegian mountain Digervarden…

Up to this point, however, it remains speculation. But maybe future finds will shed some light. “What we can say for sure is that we haven’t discovered the latter yet,” the researchers said. “We will be back.”