There’s a Vault in Norway Protecting Mexico’s First Flag — Here’s Why
At any moment, a natural phenomenon or global conflict can endanger the historic preservation of the planet. To protect valuable objects and documents, some countries keep their treasures safely stowed away. Mexico maintains its first flag in a remote corner of Svalbard, in the middle of the frozen silence of the Arctic.
As El Pais reported, the 300-meter mountain is between Norway and the North Pole, housing the Arctic World Archive (AWA), considered the safest place on earth.
This underground space, devoid of light and cold, has been the home of this symbol for the past six years.
Besides the Mexican flag, AWA preserves crucial historical documents in digital copy
The permafrost sanctuary houses the Act of Independence, and all documents related to Mexico’s constitutions from 1814 to 1917.
In addition, the archive stores files from the Supreme Court of Justice installation, totaling 492 files and 18,309 images from 1583 to 1994. Everything is in digital format and it can be decoded in the future.
Gustavo Villanueva Bazán, a Mexican historian at the University of Andalusia, notes that humanity has done this in the past.
“During the French intervention, Benito Juárez moved around the country, taking the national archive with him,” he said.
“From September 1864 to May 1867, he sought refuge in a cave called Del Tabaco, in the municipality of Matamoros de La Laguna, Coahuila. After it reestablished the Mexican Republic,” he concluded, “[They] were recovered from the cave.”
Established in 2017, AWA is a modern marvel, nearly inaccessible and demilitarized
The Arctic World Archive was born in March 2017 by Piql AS, a technology company based in Norway, to ensure the digital heritage‘s safety.
Mine number three is a decommissioned and well-maintained place owned by Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani (SNSK). This company has over a century of experience in such projects. As stated on its website, the archive’s mission is to safeguard invaluable digital heritage and human achievements.
Apart from the Mexican flag, AWA houses books of renowned authors, poets, a world seed bank, paintings, and more.
The storage technology, PiqlFilm, is passive, migration-free, and future-proof. Also, it doesn’t rely on the cloud, servers, migration, or electricity; making it cost-effective and sustainable.
The storage conditions at AWA are ideal for PiqlFilm, eliminating the need for cooling or heating. Moreover, ensures data preservation with a zero carbon footprint.
