JOHN: FINALLY TONIGHT, A JOURNEY TO REMOTE ALASKA WHERE GLOBAL WARMING IS BEING BLAMED FOR ENDANGERING A TREASURE TROVE OF INDIGENOUS ARTIFACTS.

HE NONPROFIT MEDIA ORGANIZATION VISIT ONE SITE WHERE ARCHAEOLOGISTS SAY THEY ARE IN A RACE AGAINST TIME.

> CAN YOU SEE IT?

IT LOOKS LIKE A MOSAIC OF DAILY LIFE PRESSED DOWN INTO THE DIRT.

>> HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVED HERE?

>> THIS WAS A SETTLEMENT.

ABOUT 200 PEOPLE LIVED HERE STARTING AS EARLY AS 1450A.D THIS IS ALL WOOD FROM SHAKESPEARE'S TIME.

>> IT IS PRESERVED SO WELL.

>> THE AVERAGE DIGGER WILL FIND ONE OR TWO JAW-DROPPING MUSEUM PIECES PER DAY.

>> LET'S KEEP DIGGING.

>> AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, THE ARCHAEOLOGIST AND HIS TEAM ARE DIGGING DOWN, PIECING TOGETHER THE STORY OF AN HISTORICAL COMMUNITY THAT CAME TO AN END MORE THAN 300 YEARS AGO.

>> THE OBJECTS WE ARE FINDING ARE IMPORTANT NOT JUST TO LOCAL FOLKS AND THEIR HERITAGE BUT TO OUR COLLECTIVE HERITAGE AS HUMANS.

WHAT IS SCARY IS THAT WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, THIS RECORD IS UNDER THREAT.

IT IS A RACE AGAINST TIME, BOTH AGAINST EROSION AND THE FACT THE PERMAFROST HAS MELTED AND THESE THINGS ARE SLOWLY ROCKING.

WHEN THE PERMAFROST IS GONE, THE SITES ARE EXPOSED TO THE U.K. -- TO DECAY.

THIS AMAZING RECORD IS BEING LOST VERY QUICKLY.

>> THE MELTING PERMAFROST AND COASTAL EROSION HELPED UNVEIL THE SITE FOR ARCHAEOLOGISTS.

BUT THOSE FORCES ALSO THREATENED TO DESTROY AND WASH AWAY THESE ARTIFACTS.

THAT IS WHY ARCHAEOLOGISTS SAY THAT THEIR WORK IS INEXTRICABLY WINKED TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

NOW, SCIENTISTS IN BOTH FIELDS ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM AS THE WORLD CONTINUES TO WARM.

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SHOW MELTING GLACIERS IN PLACES LIKE ALASKA WILL IMPACT FAR OFF OCEANS, LANDS, AND THE PEOPLE, AND CULTURAL SITES ON IT.

THOSE LOOMING CHANGES POSE A DANGER TO NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IN FACT, UNESCO SAYS THERE IS NO GREATER THREAT RIGHT NOW TO WORLD HERITAGE SITES THAN A WARMING PLANET.

AT RICK'S SUGGESTION, WE CAME HERE TO ALASKA TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS A WARMING PLANET IS HAVING ON THE ONGOING EFFORT TO UNVEIL KEY ARTIFACTS.

HEY ARE IN CHARGE OF THE LAB AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OBJECTS AFTERWARDS.

HI.

I AM OBVIOUSLY WITH THE RIGHT PERSON.

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?

>> THIS IS A LITTLE VESSEL OR MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DIPPER.

IF YOU IMAGINE THESE ATTACHED AND A LONG HANDLE, DIP IT TO GET WATER OUT.

DIGGING HERE ABSOLUTELY SPOILED YOU FOR DOING ARCHAEOLOGY ANYWHERE ELSE.

THE FACT THAT WE ARE FINDING WOOD, BASKETRY, NO ONE ELSE HAS FOUND 400-YEAR-OLD BASKETRY AND ROPES BEFORE SO THAT IS INCREDIBLE.

>> SHE IS THE SITE MANAGER.

AFTER THE OBJECTS ARE DUG UP IN THE FIELD, THEY ARE PROCESSED AND LOGGED.

WITH EVERY OBJECT THEY CLEAN, SORT, AND DOCUMENT, SHE ADDS TO THE STORY OF THESE PEOPLE.

BUT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THEY TOLD US THE THREADS OF THE STORY ARE FRAYING.

>> THERE IS A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WAYS OF LIFE, CULTURE, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED.

LOSING THAT KNOWLEDGE, WE ALSO LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR NATIVE PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY TO RECONNECT WITH THAT HERITAGE AND RELEARN SOME OF THE SKILLS AND STAY CONNECTED TO THOSE WAYS OF LIVING.

WHEN EVERYTHING IS WASHED AND DRIED AND LABELED AND CATALOGED, IT ENDS UP IN HERE IN THE MUSEUM.

>> OH, WOW!

EVERYTHING YOU SAID IN THE OTHER ROOM -- WE WOULD HAVE LOST THIS ENTIRE STORY.

>> THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF SITES LIKE THIS ACROSS ALASKA.

GIVE IT FIVE OR 10 MORE YEARS, AND ALL OF THIS WOULD BE GONE.

ALL OF THIS WOULD BE LOST.

>> BEYOND ALASKA, IT IS ESTIMATED SOME 20,000 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES GLOBALLY ARE UNDER THREAT FROM CLIMATE CHANGE.

WITH RISING SEAS AND COASTAL EROSION, RICK SAYS HIS MISSION NOW IS TO SAVE AS MANY OF THESE ARTIFACTS AS HE CAN BEFORE THEY WASH AWAY FOR GOOD.

IT IS KIND OF SHOCKING TO HEAR THAT THIS IS A RACE, A RACE AGAINST TIME FOR THE PRESERVATION OF OUR STORY.

>> ALL WE CAN DO IS RESCUE WHAT WE CAN AS FAST AS WE CAN.

IT IS LIKE A MUSEUM IS ON FIRE.

JOHN: THE FULL DOCUMENTARY WHICH IS CALLED "MUSEUM ON FIRE" IS ON YOUTUBE.

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