Permafrost thaw threatens Arctic archeological sites, says professor

Climate change isthreatening archeological sites in N.W.T.'s Mackenzie Delta, says University of Torontoprofessor MaxFriesen.

He says thawing permafrost is endangeringsites and artifactsdating back thousands of years.

• PHOTOS|Complete Inuvialuit driftwood house found in Mackenzie Delta

"Instead of having the archaeological remains and the houses and whatnot being stable, they're actually eroding out of the cliff face," he said.

"As you walk along the beach, you can actually see all the artifacts, animal bones, and even pieces of houses that are slumping down the slope and will eventually wash out into the ocean."

Friesen says researchers need to act quickly andprioritize which sites should be excavated before their contents are destroyed.

He will be in Yellowknife tonight for atalk on the subject startingat 7 p.m. at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. He'll also joinTrail's End hostAllison Devereauxlive in studio this afternoon.