Yacht rock art: prehistoric carvings found in Norway may be oldest nautical images in the world
Two life-size outlines of boats are thought to have been etched into the grey rock face 10,000 years ago—and more could still await discovery.
Carvings of boats found at Valle, Norway, may be the oldest known examples in Europe, and are perhaps among the earliest in the world, according to a new study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology.
The Art Newspaper
May 3, 2021
© Jan Magne Gjerde
10,000-11,000 years ago, 3,000 years before other boat carvings in northern Europe.First identified in 2017, the boats appear as white outlines carved into the grey rock surface, and can only be seen clearly under the right light and weather conditions. One boat originally measured around 4.3 metres in length, though only one end now remains due to erosion. It was probably a life-size representation, like nearby carvings of animals, which include seals, reindeer, a possible porpoise, and perhaps even a polar bear. A second boat image is less well-preserved, with only around three metres still visible.
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