Climate Change Reveals Ancient Reading Answers: The topic “Climate Change Reveals Ancient Reading Answers” focuses on the discoveries made in Norway’s highest mountains as ancient ice fields melt due to global warming. This passage delves into the role of glacial archaeologists in preserving these fragile artifacts, the challenges they face due to climate change, and the surprising findings that have reshaped our understanding of ancient trade routes and hunting practices. By answering questions based on this reading, students will gain a deeper understanding of the intersection between climate change and historical preservation, helping them improve their skills for the IELTS Reading module.
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Climate Change Reveals Ancient Reading Answer Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage below.
Climate Change Reveals Ancient Artefacts
Paragraph A. As the Earth’s climate warms, ancient ice fields are shrinking in Norway’s highest mountains, well above the treeline. As the ice has melted, it has been giving up the treasures it has kept safe for the past 6,000 years. These include things like arrows and skis from Viking Age traders. And these artifacts have given archaeologists some surprising insights into how ancient Norwegians made a living.
Paragraph B. Archaeological sites don’t find a lot of natural things like textiles and hides. This is because they don’t last long if they aren’t protected from the microorganisms that cause decay. Extreme cold is a good way to keep artifacts relatively fresh for a few thousand years, but once they are thawed out, they start to break down pretty quickly. As ice cover melts around the world because of climate change, glacial archaeologists have to race against the clock to find new artifacts, keep them safe, and study them. If something fragile dries out and gets blown away by the wind, it might be lost to science very soon. On the other hand, if an arrow is exposed and then covered by snow, it might be well-preserved. Glacial archaeologists have to be very organized when they work in the field because they can’t predict what will happen.
Paragraph C. A group of archaeologists, including Lars Pil of the Oppland County Council in Norway and James Barrett of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, studied patches of ice in Oppland, which is in the middle of Norway and has some of the country’s highest mountains. Reindeer used to gather on these ice patches in the late summer to get away from biting insects, and since the late Stone Age, hunters have followed them. In addition, trade routes ran through the mountain passes of Oppland, connecting settlements in Norway to the rest of Europe. The slow but steady movement of tends to destroy anything at their bases, so the team focused on still patches of ice, mostly above 1,400 meters. That ice is found in fields of frost-weathered boulders, fallen rocks, and exposed bedrock that is covered by snow for nine months of the year. “Fieldwork is hard work—hiking with all our gear and often camping on permafrost—but very rewarding. Barrett says, “You’re saving the archaeology, bringing the melting ice to a wider audience, finding a unique environmental history, and really connecting with the natural environment.”
Paragraph D. Archaeologists found more than 2,000 artifacts at the edges of the melting ice patches. These things told a story that went from 4,000 BCE to the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century. A lot of the objects have to do with hunting. Archers were easy to lose, and hunters often threw away broken bows rather than carrying them all the way home. Hunters going through the high mountain passes of Oppland could have used other things, too, like tools, skis, and horse tack.
Paragraph E. Barrett and his team radiocarbon dated 153 of the artifacts and compared the results to the timing of major environmental changes in the region, such as cooling or warming periods, and major social and economic shifts, such as the growth of farming settlements and the spread of international trade networks leading up to the Viking Age. Many artifacts were discovered from certain historical periods, suggesting that human activity in the mountains was high at the time. However, during other times there were hardly any clues of life.
Paragraph F. Barrett found the timing of these epochs to be particularly surprising. The mountains of Oppland are intimidating, and during times of extreme cold, they can block the passages leading to the higher altitudes, making travel there nearly impossible. In the Late Antique Little Lee Age, a brief period of deeper-than-usual cold that occurred about 536–600 CE, archaeologists speculated that humans would avoid living at higher altitudes. However, it became clear that hunters kept frequently traveling into the mountains despite the changing temperature, as evidenced by the quantity of items they reportedly discarded there.
“Remarkably, the findings from the ice may have remained through this period,” says Barrett. “This may show that the value of mountain hunting increased to complement poor agricultural harvests during times of low temperatures.” The increased reliance on hunting would have been necessary since widespread crop failures would have resulted from a colder turn in the Scandinavian climate.
Paragraph G. The Viking Age began in the 700s and 900s CE, and many of the artifacts unearthed by Barrett’s crew date from that time period. During this time, trade routes connecting Scandinavia with Europe and the Middle East were growing. Even though ships are what first come to mind when discussing Scandinavian expansion, these new findings demonstrate the importance of terrestrial routes, such as the mountain passes of Oppland. Growing Norwegian cities and export markets would have increased the demand forhides for insulation and antlers for practical items like combs. Hunters must have been doing well.
Paragraph H. A great deal of prehistoric and historic artifacts are still likely frozen in the mountains of Norway. Looking at the dates for their sample of 153 artifacts, Barrett’s team observed a period with absolutely no artifacts, around between 3,800 and 2,200 BCE. Indeed, such artifacts are quite uncommon in any part of Norway. Researchers speculate that this is because many of these artifacts have either dissolved or are still frozen in the ice. What this means is that in the future, as the ice melts, archaeologists may be able to retrieve some of these artifacts.
Climate Change Reveals Ancient Reading Answer Sample Questions
Matching Information (Q. 1-6)
Match each statement with the correct paragraph (A–H).
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Explains why some archaeological discoveries do not survive for long after they are uncovered.
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Discusses how ancient people used mountain routes for hunting and trade.
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Mentions the challenges faced by archaeologists while conducting fieldwork.
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Describes how climate change has impacted the preservation of historical artifacts.
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Explores how extreme cold periods affected human activity in high-altitude regions.
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Suggests that more artifacts might be discovered as ice continues to melt.
Summary Completion (Q. 7-9)
Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Ancient ice fields in Norway are melting, revealing artifacts from the past 6,000 years. These discoveries include tools, (7) _______, and hunting equipment, which offer insights into Viking Age traders and early Norwegian settlers. Due to climate change, archaeologists must work quickly before fragile objects are (8) _______ or destroyed. The Oppland region, known for its (9) _______, has yielded thousands of artifacts that suggest continuous human activity despite environmental challenges.
Multiple Choice Questions (Q. 10-13)
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What was a major reason reindeer gathered in the ice patches of Oppland?
A. To migrate to warmer regions
B. To escape from biting insects
C. To search for fresh vegetation
D. To avoid hunters
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Why did archaeologists choose to focus on still patches of ice rather than glaciers?
A. The ice patches were easier to access
B. Artifacts in glaciers were often damaged by movement
C. The glaciers had already been thoroughly explored
D. Ice patches contained more valuable treasures
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What was one of the surprising findings about human activity during cold periods?
A. Hunters completely abandoned the mountains
B. Agriculture flourished despite freezing temperatures
C. Hunting increased due to poor farming conditions
D. The artifacts were unaffected by climate changes
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What do the discovered artifacts from the Viking Age suggest?
A. Scandinavian traders relied only on sea routes
B. There was limited trade between Norway and Europe
C. Mountain routes played a key role in Scandinavian trade
D. The Viking economy was entirely based on hunting
Climate Change Reveals Ancient Reading Answer with Explanations
Ans 1. Explains why some archaeological discoveries do not survive for long after they are uncovered.
Answer: B
Explanation: Paragraph B explains how artifacts decay after being exposed, due to microorganisms and environmental factors. The passage mentions that objects might get blown away by wind or dry out quickly, making them difficult to preserve.
Ans 2. Discusses how ancient people used mountain routes for hunting and trade.
Answer: C
Explanation: Paragraph C discusses how trade routes ran through the mountain passes of Oppland, connecting settlements in Norway to Europe. It also mentions that reindeer and hunters used these routes, which were key for trade and hunting.
Ans 3. Mentions the challenges faced by archaeologists while conducting fieldwork.
Answer: C
Explanation: In Paragraph C, the archaeologists describe the physical challenges of fieldwork in Oppland, including hiking with gear and camping on permafrost. It highlights the difficulty and rewards of the work.
Ans 4. Describes how climate change has impacted the preservation of historical artifacts.
Answer: A
Explanation: Paragraph A explains how climate change is causing ice fields to shrink, revealing preserved artifacts. It emphasizes that the warming climate is making it possible to find objects that have been preserved for 6,000 years.
Ans 5. Explores how extreme cold periods affected human activity in high-altitude regions.
Answer: F
Explanation: Paragraph F talks about how the Late Antique Little Ice Age (536–600 CE) brought extreme cold, and how, contrary to expectations, people continued to use the high-altitude mountain routes for hunting even during cold periods.
Ans 6. Suggests that more artifacts might be discovered as ice continues to melt.
Answer: H
Explanation: Paragraph H mentions that there are still many artifacts that may be discovered as the ice continues to melt. It also refers to a period between 3,800 and 2,200 BCE where few artifacts were found, indicating that many might still be frozen in the ice.
Ans 7. Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Answer 7: arrows and skis
Explanation: In Paragraph A, the passage mentions that the artifacts found in the melting ice include arrows and skis, which were important for Viking Age traders. These items are valuable insights into how ancient Norwegians made a living.
Ans 8: destroyed
Explanation: Paragraph B discusses the fact that once artifacts are exposed to air, they can quickly be destroyed by environmental conditions, such as drying out or getting blown away by the wind.
Ans 9: mountain passes
Explanation: In Paragraph C, the passage highlights that hunters and traders used mountain passes in the Oppland region to travel, with this area being central to Norway's hunting and trading activities.
Ans 10. What was a major reason reindeer gathered in the ice patches of Oppland?
Answer: B. To escape from biting insects
Explanation: Paragraph C mentions that reindeer gathered in the ice patches during the late summer to escape from biting insects.
Ans 11. Why did archaeologists choose to focus on still patches of ice rather than glaciers?
Answer: B. Artifacts in glaciers were often damaged by movement
Explanation: In Paragraph C, it is mentioned that glaciers tend to destroy anything at their bases due to their movement. Therefore, archaeologists focused on still patches of ice, which preserved the artifacts.
Ans 12. What was one of the surprising findings about human activity during cold periods?
Answer: C. Hunting increased due to poor farming conditions
Explanation: Paragraph F discusses how the cooler temperatures during the Late Antique Little Ice Age increased the reliance on hunting as a supplement to farming, as poor agricultural conditions led to crop failures.
Ans 13. What do the discovered artifacts from the Viking Age suggest?
Answer: C. Mountain routes played a key role in Scandinavian trade
Explanation: Paragraph G talks about how the artifacts from the Viking Age suggest that mountain trade routes, in addition to sea routes, were important for Scandinavian trade during this time. The passage emphasizes the role of the mountain passes of Oppland in trade.
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