A powerful winter storm that swept across Alaska’s interior this week exposed a previously unknown burial mound near the Yukon River, scattering thousands of artifacts across the tundra. Teams from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, in collaboration with local Indigenous groups, are working around the clock to recover and document the items, which include stone tools, copper ornaments, and well‑preserved organic material. Researchers warn that continued thawing could damage the fragile objects, and they are employing portable conservation labs and drone mapping to secure the site before the melt season accelerates.
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