An exploration of ice-patch archaeology and the fascinating story of how glaciers play a crucial role in human culture.

Glacier figure prominently in both ancient and contemporary narratives around the world.  They inspire art and literature.  They spark both fear and awe.  And they give and take life.  In The Age of Melt, science writer Lisa Baril explores the deep-rooted cultural connection between humans and ice through time, interweaving personal travelogue, scientific journalism, and forthright entertaining interviews.

As thousands of organic artifacts emerge from patches of melting ice in mountain ranges around the world, archaeologists are in a race against time to find them before they disappear forever.  In this hopeful, forward-thinking take on the effects of climate change, Baril recounts her travels from the Alps to the Andes, investigating how these artifacts offer insight into culture, wilderness, and what we gain when we rethink our relationship to both the world and ice, our most precious and ephemeral substance.