A strange construct has been left exposed by a retreating wall of ice, baffling historians and researchers.
The object was found on Nov. 2 by Sergio Veri, a hiker walking along an isolated and remote glacier path, Archaeology News reported. Veri was hiking in the Swiss Alps when he made the discovery.
While walking along the Splügen Pass, near the Canton of Graubünden, Veri came across an apparent two-wheeled contraption.
The construct appears to have two wheels attached to a bamboo frame.
Made from poles and cordage, the materials themselves are causing some confusion in archaeological circles. Bamboo, after all, isn’t part of Switzerland’s native flora.
According to Archaeology News, the towering pole-like grass is believed to have first arrived in Europe at the end of the 18th Century.
Because of this, experts have dated the object to the 20th Century.
The Graubünden Canton says the object was discovered where the Schwarzhorag Glacier has melted away.
Is this object from modern times?
Yes: 25% (1 Votes)
No: 75% (3 Votes)
“The cart-like construction, which has two wheels and is made from bamboo poles and cords, is relatively young, probably from the 20th century,” the canton wrote. “However, the function and creator are unknown.
“Anyone who has information about the unknown found object can contact the Graubünden Archaeological Service directly.”
The canton supplied several photographs of the construct, showing the odd nature of the object.
Users commenting on the post floated some possible theories for the construct.
One person said it looks like a hay sled, historically used to move hay through mountainous terrain. Another more far-fetched theory floated by one user suggests the cart could be from Hannibal Barca’s march through the Alps in the time of the Roman Republic.
Use of the Splügen Pass dates back to ancient times, meaning there could be many more artifacts waiting under the remaining ice.
The condition of the construct — and the very material it is made of — hints the apparent cart is not from the times of gladiators and war elephants.
A complete examination of the object has not yet been completed, but it will likely yield more clues about its currently unknown past.
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