Archaeologists are seeking assistance from the public in identifying an unusual vehicle that has emerged from receding glacier ice in the Swiss Alps.
The small two-wheeled vehicle, resembling a cart or a wagon, was discovered on November 2 by Sergio Veri, a hiker who had been trekking along the Splügen Pass, which traverses the Lepontine Alps in the Canton of the Grisons (Graubünden).
Current estimates for the cart’s age place it sometime within the 20th century. Although it isn’t an ancient discovery, the cart’s appearance has now prompted speculations about its origins, since it is composed of bamboo, a non-native wood.
Bamboo would have been present in various parts of Europe as early as the late 18th century, meaning that the cart may not have been crafted from materials imported from more distant locales, although its discovery has certainly raised questions about what its purpose may have been.
The discovery was shared on social media, prompting many theories about the cart’s possible use in the simple transportation of goods, as well as a few more elaborate ideas.
Another possibility involves the cart’s use for illicit purposes that might have included smuggling items undetected through the high Swiss Alps.
Presently, the Archaeological Service of Graubünden has not yet conducted formal investigations, although they have requested information from anyone who may have knowledge involving the unusual discovery.
This is not the first time such discoveries have been made because of receding glacier ice. The Secrets of the Ice project, part of the Glacier Archaeology Program overseen by the Innlandet County Council and the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway, prioritizes the recovery of artifacts revealed by melting ice.
Recent past discoveries by the initiative include a similar sled-like vehicle that is also believed to have dated to the 20th century, discovered along the Cavagnöö Glacier.
However, there are also many older discoveries revealed by melting mountain ice. In 2014, Secrets of the Ice was involved in the discovery of a well-preserved ski dating back as far as 1300 years, which was found along the Digervarden Ice Patch in Norway.
“The ski was complete, including the binding,” the team said in an announcement on its website, adding that the artifact was determined to be “one of only two skis from prehistory in this condition.” Ongoing efforts in the area had hoped to reveal its companion, which eventually paid off in 2021, completing the set of ancient snow skis that were likely crafted before the Viking era.
Graubünden has seen other ancient archaeological discoveries in recent years, including the discovery of a 2000-year-old Roman military camp, which was found at an altitude of 2,200 meters in eastern Switzerland.
Anyone who believes they may have information about the purpose or origins of the cart recently discovered along the Splügen Pass has been advised to reach out to officials with the Archaeological Service Graubünden.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.
