"Ice Treasure Chamber" Exhibition
What does ice reveal about our past—and about our future? Glaciers are unique archives. They preserve traces of past climates as well as evidence of human life spanning millennia. Now these treasures are being revealed:
Starting September 23 at the Sandstone Pavilion.
Ice as an Archive
Glacial ice is more than just frozen water: it is a unique archive of climate and human history. Its layers preserve information about past climate conditions, environmental changes, and human activities.
The exhibition “Ice Treasure Trove” brings together for the first time two scientific disciplines that investigate these traces: ice core research and glacial archaeology.
What Ice Tells Us About the Climate
Ice core research examines ice samples from glaciers and ice sheets. Trapped particles, gases, and chemical traces reveal past climate conditions. Even extreme events in recent history have left their mark.
In 1540, Europe experienced an extraordinary period of drought and heat. Rivers dried up, crops failed, and vast areas of forest burned. Soot and charcoal from these fires are still preserved in ice cores today.
"Ice is a unique archive. Its layers contain a wealth of information about the past."
Prof. Emerita Dr. Margit Schwikowski (scientific advisor for the exhibition). She headed the Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Würenlingen and was also a titular professor at the University of Bern. As an expert in ice core analysis, she chaired the scientific committee of the Ice Memory Foundation, which aims to preserve ice cores for future generations. She supports the Girls on Ice initiative.
What Ice Tells Us About People
Glacial archaeology studies objects and traces that people have left behind or lost in the ice. When glaciers melt, these come to light again after millennia.
In 2013, the retreating Brunnifirn glacier near the Untere Stremlücke revealed an extraordinary discovery: deer antlers, Swiss stone pine wood, and traces of rock crystal craftsmanship. The finds are about 8,000 years old and are among the oldest known archaeological artifacts preserved by the ice of the Alps.
But what led people into the high mountains back then?
"The melting ice reveals traces of people who lived long ago—and tells the story of life thousands of years ago."
Marcel Cornelissen, M.A., freelance archaeologist (scientific advisor for the exhibition). His work focuses on archaeology in the Alpine region of Central Europe. The independent archaeologist studied at the Universities of Leicester (UK) and Reading (UK). He has been working as an archaeologist since 2001, and since 2005 has primarily worked for cantons and companies in Switzerland. On a contract basis, Cornelissen led the Bergeis project at the Uri Institute for Alpine Cultures.
Stories from the Ice
In addition to the drought of 1540 and the findings from the Untere Stremlücke dating back to approximately 6,000 B.C., the exhibition “Ice Treasure Trove” tells, through a total of 15 fascinating stories, of people, climate, and the environment—from the Stone Age to the present day. It reveals what glaciers tell us about our past and how much knowledge could be irretrievably lost if the ice disappears.
The exhibition runs through August 22, 2027.
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