Bulgarian Father, Son Row Across Arctic Ocean for Endangered Species

FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo
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Bulgarian Father, Son Row Across Arctic Ocean for Endangered Species

FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo

Stefan Ivanov, a 52-year-old banker from Bulgaria, and his son Maxim, 21, celebrated their birthdays in August rowing across the Arctic Ocean to appeal for protection of endangered ocean species.
After 33 days, the boat crossed the Arctic Ocean on Sept. 8, hoping to claim the record of being the first rowing boat to have accomplished the feat.
"We wanted to be the first rowing expedition across the entire Arctic Ocean and we started from Haugesund (Norway), which is south of the southern border of the ocean," Stefan told Reuters. "I think we will be able to claim the record."
The footage from the sailing trip showed waves and heavy winds, with the little boat swinging in the ocean. Stefan spent 33 days on the boat, while Maxim, a Stanford University student, joined later after finishing his internship in New York.
"It's been a huge fight with (the) Arctic Ocean. It was not very collaborative, it was sending side winds, headwinds currents pushing us one way or the other," Stefan said.
"Almost feels like being in a washing machine for weeks."
Stefan and Maxim began building their own boat in 2019 to cross the ocean. They named it Neverest. "It is a play of words 'Never rest until you reach Everest'," Stefan said.
In 2020 Maxim at the age of 16 became the youngest rower to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean with his father.
"This is a hobby of ours, but we didn't want to just let it be an end to it itself. We wanted to have some positive repercussions on the world if we can," Stefan said, adding that they did it to promote a petition to designate new protected areas in the Southern Ocean to conserve marine biodiversity.

"Journeys like this are reminder that even the small victories are victories and when the time gets tough every single step is a step forward no matter how small," Maxim said.
"But sometimes those steps are very limited."



Remains of 5,000-year-old Noblewoman Found in Peru Dig

An ancient artifact found in a recently discovered burial site at the Aspero archaeological complex, belonging to the Caral civilization, during a press presentation at the Ministry of Culture in Lima on April 24, 2025. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP
An ancient artifact found in a recently discovered burial site at the Aspero archaeological complex, belonging to the Caral civilization, during a press presentation at the Ministry of Culture in Lima on April 24, 2025. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP
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Remains of 5,000-year-old Noblewoman Found in Peru Dig

An ancient artifact found in a recently discovered burial site at the Aspero archaeological complex, belonging to the Caral civilization, during a press presentation at the Ministry of Culture in Lima on April 24, 2025. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP
An ancient artifact found in a recently discovered burial site at the Aspero archaeological complex, belonging to the Caral civilization, during a press presentation at the Ministry of Culture in Lima on April 24, 2025. ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP

Archaeologists in Peru said Thursday they found the 5,000-year-old remains of a noblewoman at the sacred city of Caral, revealing the important role played by women in the oldest center of civilization in the Americas.

"What has been discovered corresponds to a woman who apparently had elevated status, an elite woman," archaeologist David Palomino told AFP.

The mummy was found in Aspero, a sacred site within the city of Caral that was a garbage dump for over 30 years until becoming an archaeological site in the 1990s.

Palomino said the carefully preserved remains, dating to 3,000 years BC, contained skin, part of the nails and hair and was wrapped in a shroud made of several layers of fabric and a mantle of macaw feathers.

Macaws are colorful birds that belong to the parrot family.

The woman's funerary trousseau, which was presented to reporters at the culture ministry, included a toucan's beak, a stone bowl and a straw basket.

Preliminary analyses indicate that the remains found in December belong to a woman between 20 and 35 years old who was 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, and wearing a headdress that represented her elevated social status.

Palomino told reporters the find showed that while "it was generally thought that rulers were men, or that they had more prominent roles in society" women had "played a very important role in the Caral civilization."

Caral society developed between 3000 and 1800 BC, around the same time as other great cultures in Mesopotamia, Egypt and China.

The city is situated in the fertile Supe valley, around 180 kilometers (113 miles) north of Lima and 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Pacific Ocean.

It was declared a UN World Heritage Site in 2009.