Page:Prehistoric and Medieval Skis from Glaciers and Ice Patches in Norway.pdf/2

44

two prehistoric skis. Both were found and recovered by the Glacier Archaeology Program. Previously, there were four known finds of skis from the ice in Norway. The earliest find is from Vossaskavlen in Hordaland County, and was recovered as early as 1931. Another, very similar ski was recovered here in 1963. Later, two skis were found at Dalfonn in Oppland County, in 1980 and 2002 respectively.

Traditionally, ski history has relied on preserved skis from bogs, on rock carvings depicting skiers and on written sources. The finds of skis from glacial ice shed new light on the ski history of North-Western Europe—the development, the context of use in a high-alpine landscape and the skiing technique.

The prehistoric skis from Lendbreen, Digervarden and Dalfonn have not been published earlier, and will receive most attention in this paper. The two skis from