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Climate change threatens long-frozen Inuit artifacts in Arctic

OCT 11, 2016
Physics Today

Scientific American : For thousands of years, delicate ivory carvings, wood bows, leather goods, and even mummies from ancient Inuit have lain frozen in the Arctic permafrost. However, as global temperatures warm because of climate change, the permafrost is melting and sea levels are rising. As a result, archaeologists are racing to try to recover those artifacts before they are exposed to the elements or washed out to sea. Anne Jensen, a senior scientist at Ukpeavik Iñupiat Corporation, says that because of the quickly changing climate and limited financial resources, she and her colleagues are being forced to identify the sites with the most potential and salvage what they can.

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