"In northern Bohuslän there are roughly
1,500 known rock carvings, and new ones are constantly being discovered. A large and unusually varied collection of them can be found in Tanum. Here archaeologists have found thirteen types of figures and motifs, such as cup marks, ships, sleighs, animals, humans, hands, feet, trees, and weapons.
The pictures describe the social life of Bronze Age people, their spiritual experiences, beliefs, and rites.
The figures in rock carvings should mostly be regarded as isolated motifs, but in Tanum there are several large works with a unified composition. One example is the Fossum carving, where some 130 closely placed figures - which never overlap - give a distinct impression of a deliberate composition. The images were presumably carved by a single person during a short time. There are several hunting scenes and beautifully drawn deer.
When the pictures were
carved on the rocks of Tanum, 1800-500 B.C., they were beside the water's edge. Today they are 25-30 metres above sea level."
Top photo credit. Photo of the "happy hunter" at left: Bengt A Lundberg and Gabriel Hildebrand. Via Uncertain Times.
"When the pictures were carved [...] 1800-500 B.C., they were beside the water's edge. Today they are 25-30 metres above sea level."
ReplyDeleteJust think, if the 'global warming' happens as predicted, they will only be 20 metres above sea level! Getting a bit closer to the levels of 3000 years ago.
I wonder -- would some people say that's closer to the sea levels of the pre-industrial world, before nasty man caused the sea levels to drop 25-30 metres? Just wondering, with tongue-in-cheek :)
For sure keep that tongue in your cheek, because subpolar land rises (including in the U.S.) has occurred/is occurring because of a rebound after the weight of the glaciers was removed after the last ice age.
ReplyDeleteThat's very interesting, and I was not aware of the possibility of land rising. I'll have to read up on it!
ReplyDeleteAlways something to learn at TYWKIWDBI
Mike - Wiki has a pretty concise description of the phenomenon -
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-glacial_rebound