‘Corpse Point’ In the Arctic Is Melting, Disturbing Centuries-Old Bodies

· May 23, 2026 at 9:00 AM

Whalers buried in the Norwegian Arctic in the 1600s and 1700s are thawing out of the permafrost, underscoring the threat of climate change to archaeological sites around the world.

‘Corpse Point’ In the Arctic Is Melting, Disturbing Centuries-Old Bodies — *A grave close to a slope at “Corpse Point” in Svalbard, Norway. Image:* *Loktu, Lise, and* *Brødholt, Elin Therese*

Welcome back to the Abstract! Here are the studies this week that felt the heat, left their mark, survived a cataclysm, and watched cows watch TV.

First, the bones of long-dead whalers are spilling out their Arctic graves due to human-driven climate change. Then: a trip to “where the snakes lost life,” an ur-moon in the ashes, and the facial recognition abilities of cows.