At 1.2-million-years-old, a newly uncovered Antarctic ice core represents the oldest known ice on the planet. The 1.7 mile-long ice core was recovered from over 9,000 feet (2,800 meters) deep underground,

Scientists have drilled a deep hole in the Antarctic bedrock that may hold information that dates back more than a million years.

An international team of scientists say they’ve drilled nearly 2 miles to Antarctic bedrock, retrieving one of the oldest ice cores at 1.2 million years old.