While most readers would never expect to see the terms “snow goggles” and “ancient history” in the same sentence, snow goggles are actually nothing new. Despite being a modern-day necessity in snow-covered regions, snow goggles were first invented as an indispensable survival tool by the ancestors of the Inuit in the Arctic North of ancient history. And they were pretty snazzy too!
If you’re wondering why the proto-Inuit would have needed such a stylish accessory, think again. These ancient snow goggles , dating back as far as 2,000 years, were first developed as an indigenous answer to a painful condition known as snow blindness. The roots of snow goggles have been traced back to the Old Bering Sea culture that existed on both sides of the Bering Strait . The tradition of using snow goggles was then passed down to the present-day Eskimos.
Caused by prolonged or excess exposure to ultraviolet light reflecting off the snow or ice, as well as the freezing wind, the condition is in essence a kind of sunburn of the cornea which can be prevented by using eye protection. This was particularly important in a region which experiences 24-hour sunlight during the summer, or as much as six months of daylight at the North Pole .
Snow goggles, a.k.a. ikgaak or nigaugek, were historically used by the precursors of the Inuit and the Yupik peoples. Made of materials found in the surrounding environment, such as antlers, walrus ivory, whalebone, bark or even driftwood, these snow goggles are examples of…
