Unexploded WWI bombs found in Italy as glaciers melt
What's the story
A large number of World War I-era unexploded bombs have been discovered in the Dolomites, Italy. The Italian army's Julia Alpine brigade confirmed the find, which was made during a summer hike. The munitions, including Italian artillery shells and French mortar bombs, were found as glaciers melted due to rising temperatures.
Discovery
Major search operation launched
Hikers reported seeing several unexploded bombs during the summer, especially around Canal San Bovo in Primiero Valley, eastern Trentino.
The Julia Alpine brigade then launched a major search operation across high-altitude and glacier areas of the Dolomites.
They successfully recovered and neutralized 250 explosives, including 18 Italian 75mm artillery shells and 37 French-made Thevetot mortar shells.
Climate impact
Relics of the White War
The discovery of these munitions isn't an isolated incident.
Melting glaciers have been revealing relics from the White War, a battle fought between the Austro-Hungarian army and Italian troops from 1915 to 1918.
Stefano Morosini, a professor at the University of Bergamo, said this is largely due to global warming.
He warned that these dangerous artifacts have been preserved by ice for over a century and are now re-emerging as major threats.
Historical artifacts
Global warming revealing historical artifacts
The White War, fought mainly in the Dolomites of Trentino Alto-Adige and the Alps of Lombardy, was a historical period frozen in time until the 1990s.
Since then, global warming has been revealing well-preserved relics such as weapons, sledges, letters, and diaries.
In 2015, a wooden barracks dug into a cave on Mount Scorluzzo reappeared after nearly a century of being sealed by ice.
Upcoming exhibition
Museum dedicated to the White War
A museum dedicated to the White War is set to open in Bormio in June 2027.
The war is believed to have claimed over a million lives, with most soldiers dying from avalanches, falls, or hypothermia.
Over the past 15 years, dozens of corpses, some still wearing their uniforms, have been found as glaciers continue to melt due to rising temperatures.