The Pomors were the most skilled meteorologists in the Arctic during the 17th – 19th centuries, scientists say
The Clean Arctic - Vostok-77 expedition participants plan to read and decipher all icons of the Pomors’ calendar. Then, the scientists will compare them with modern climate observations, the expedition's press office told TASS.
The Pomors’ calendar is an outstanding example of Russian medieval science. The Pomors marked all the days of the year on a wooden or bone bar, making notches along its edges. They also marked holidays and annual astronomical and natural phenomena with special icons, the expedition's scientific director said.
According to the expedition participants, several dozen different Pomors’ calendars have been preserved. However, the scientists still can't understand some of their icons.
The scientists believe that a complete analysis of the Pomors' weather signs, calendar-related proverbs, and sayings may clarify the meaning of those icons.
The scientists emphasized that the Pomors were the most skilled meteorologists in the Arctic during the 17th – 19th centuries. The Mezen Pomors, who live in the northeast of the Arkhangelsk region, Russia, have preserved a lot of weather signs that worked from the 18th century through the 20th century. A team of experts will compare those signs with the current climatic situation.
Our task is to establish the most accurate timing of snowfall and melting, the beginning of ice drift on the Mezen River […]. These data are top important for comparing climate indicators and for making climate change models for the Arctic, the scientist said.
The Clean Arctic - Vostok-77 expedition includes more than 700 representatives from 20 institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and higher education institutions as well as the Russian Geographical Society volunteers. It will last one year and end on the Kamchatka Peninsula. During the expedition, participants will conduct 200 studies on routes that will be as long as 12,000 km.
Source: TASS
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