Rock Art Research

Pre-Historic art today is known from twelve caves in coastal central and northern Norway, in most of which painted anthropomorphs are found. This is the only cave art known from northern Europe. In Solsemhula, Nord-Trøndelag, an occupation layer containing some artefacts, bones from humans and animals as well as molluscs, has been excavated. Twenty-one monochromatic images are found together with a large ‘cross’, all painted in red. Radiocarbon dates show that Solsemhula was visited during the Bronze Age. A large boulder blocks the entrance today and it is discussed whether this block fell from the roof when the cave was still used for habitation and reduced the accessibility of the cave. The cave art differs significantly from open-air rock art, forming a distinctive regional tradition and made at a time when early farming spread north along the Norwegian coast. A new local rock art tradition may have been formed under the influence of rock art of Bronze Age farmers, focusing on anthropomorphs and located in inner parts of remote caves.