A Medieval Horseshoe

Oppland County Council archaeologists discovered a horse snowshoe in the receding Lendbreen ice patch in Norway in 2019. The snowshoe, which is believed to be from the viking or medieval periods, measures 40 by 30 centimeters.

Traditionally snow shoes were made with a ring of juniper and attached with a fastener made from a tough, flexible root shoot from a birch tree.

A number of equine-related finds have been discovered in the Lendbreen ice patch including other medieval horseshoes, nails, manure and the bones from two packhorses. One set is from the 15th century, while the other is about 1,500 years old.