Climate change is forcing tough choices—how much heritage can we save before it is too late?

Permafrost—an icy layer that helps to keep archaeology frozen in time—is thawing, placing the island’s heritage at unprecedented risk. Among them is South Aulatsivik 6, a site where the remains of Inuit houses and objects from daily life have long been protected by the freezing conditions.

Now, according to research published in the journal Archaeometry, Rachel Labrie of Université Laval, Canada, and colleagues have used ground-penetrating technology not just to map the site’s archaeology, but to evaluate which spots are most at risk from permafrost thaw. 

This novel approach will help Arctic archaeologists to monitor the changing condition of endangered sites and prioritise their excavations accordingly. With the same problem facing the entire Arctic and sub-Arctic zones, such innovative and speedy methods of data collection are now, sadly, a necessity.