He is the first North American pontiff to be elected leader of the Catholic Church
Extreme cold has the ability to preserve objects for millions of years, as evidenced by many incredible discoveries in recent times. These findings continue to provide valuable insights into our history on Earth.
Intrigued? Explore the gallery to uncover these captivating stories.
Beneath the ice of Antarctica lies a mountain range that reaches approximately 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in height.
The mountains were formed between 100 and 250 million years ago, according to estimates.
As glaciers in Peio, Italy, began melting, they uncovered artifacts and the remains of soldiers from World War I.
Disturbing details of a World War I battlefield were revealed by the receding frost.
In Siberia, a reindeer herder found a female mammoth calf in 2007. She was given the name Lyuba.
Lyuba, the woolly mammoth, is believed to have passed away approximately 41,800 years ago. She is renowned as the most well-preserved mammoth in the world.
Roopkund, also referred to as Skeleton Lake, is a glacial lake located in India. In 1942, a British forest guard stumbled upon several human bones within the melting ice. Carbon dating confirmed that the skeletons dated back to approximately 850 CE. The prevailing theory suggests that these bones are from pilgrims who were traversing the mountains with the guidance of local experts. Tragically, they perished due to fierce hailstorms that engulfed them.
In 1991, two hikers found a mummy that was approximately 5,300 years old in the mountains between Austria and Italy. DNA analysis showed that Ötzi, as he is known, has 19 genetic relatives in Austria's Tyrol region.
In 2013, a climber discovered a box containing approximately 100 valuable gemstones in Mont Blanc, France.
The jewels belonged to a passenger on an Air India flight that crashed in the region in 1966.
In Siberia, Russian scientists unearthed seeds of Silene stenophylla, a 32,000-year-old plant. Astonishingly, they successfully cultivated and nurtured it.
It seems that during the Ice Age, squirrels buried the seeds near the banks of the Kolyma River.
Glaciers melting in Oppland County, Norway, have revealed several Iron Age artifacts.
One of the most interesting findings is an Iron Age tunic, believed to have been made between 230 CE and 390 CE.
An anthrax outbreak occurred in Siberia, Russia, in 2016 due to the discovery of a reindeer carcass that had been deceased for more than 75 years.
Unusually warm weather in the area (possibly due to global warming) caused the ice to melt, revealing the carcass. Numerous individuals were hospitalized and 1,200 reindeer perished as a result.
In Chile's Torres del Paine National Park, a cemetery containing 46 well-preserved ichthyosaurs was discovered.
The discovered specimens are believed to be approximately 100 to 150 million years old. These creatures were a combination of fish and lizard.
There is a glacier near Cooke City in Montana, US, that is filled with millions of grasshoppers.
It's believed that these specific specimens perished during a snowstorm, leading to the extinction of this species approximately 200 years ago.
A lake hidden beneath the ice in Antarctica was discovered by Russian scientists in 2012. The discoveries made there were significant.
The lake's age is believed to be around 25 million years, and even though it is covered by ice, it harbors a rich variety of life, including numerous unidentified bacteria.
Melting glaciers caused by global warming are revealing the remains of climbers who perished while ascending Mount Everest.
A puppy that is 18,000 years old has been discovered perfectly preserved in permafrost. The puppy was found in Russia near the city of Yakutsk and has its hair, teeth, whiskers, and eyelashes still intact.
While fishing on Indiana's Wawasee Lake, two brothers made a fascinating discovery: a frozen pike devouring a bass.
According to the theory, it is believed that the pike died after choking on the bass and subsequently froze.
Incredible discoveries found frozen in ice
From preserved battlegrounds to ancient human bodies
LIFESTYLE Exploration
Extreme cold has the ability to preserve objects for millions of years, as evidenced by many incredible discoveries in recent times. These findings continue to provide valuable insights into our history on Earth.
Intrigued? Explore the gallery to uncover these captivating stories.