Frozen Stories

From February, 25 2014 to January, 10 2016

Discoveries in the Alpine glaciers
Special exhibition, South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology

The special exhibition in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology reveals an unexpected aspect of climate change, namely its archaeological side. Objects that were concealed for a long time under the glacial ice are now coming to light. Ötzi was not the only lucky find of recent decades: the thaw has thrown up many other items and fascinating stories from the past. And with each new find the same question arises: what were people doing over thousands of years up on the glaciers?

Snow and ice freeze objects, stories and fates. The melting of the glaciers reveals them hundreds or even thousands of years later, thus creating a relatively recent branch of historical research: glacier archaeology.

It is often mountain climbers who first stumble across what their predecessors left behind: wood, metal, leather, material and many other things are perfectly preserved below zero, protected from light and air. The objects under the ice are only threatened by the immense forces of glacier movements.

The items recovered bring us face to face with the stories and fates of our ancestors, with proof that, despite the cold, snow and harsh weather, humans have always been found on the inhospitable heights of the Alps. What has for so long induced men and women to explore glacier regions? The special exhibition follows in their footsteps, reconstructing their intentions, stories and tragedies.

Frozen Stories is an exhibition of rare and in some cases only recently discovered finds from the glacier regions of the Alps, some of them appearing in public for the first time.

A multimedia tour with animations, videos and original finds explains the glacier phenomenon to visitors in all its exciting topicality.