Rock Art Reflections

by Jan J. Brouwer (rockartuk)

This page is part of the

In the summer of 2002 we visited the Vitlycke Rock Art Museum at Tanum (Sweden) -link at the bottom of this page- and were impressed by some texts written on the walls in different languages. They gave some sort of a guidance to our thinking about the amazing scenes and symbols carved on outcrop rock in the area. These carvings of the South Scandinavian type have largely been dated to the Bronze Age, approximately 1800-500 BC. The photos -except the small collage- were taken at sites around Tanum and at Hegra and Begby in Norway. We intentional choose these local images instead of the more familiar abstract ones because we won't influence your thoughts about the British cup-and-rings! However, we feel that the 'writings on the wall' may be a good starting point for thoughts about the abstract rock art in the UK too. Is there maybe just a glimpse of an recognizable intention?

  

Archaeologists ask different questions at different times and get different answers. The past is not dead. It lives on within us.

 

As the ship of the sun journeys across the sky it controls the changing seasons and the passage of time.

  

The sun is life - the measure and source of all things.

 

In the stones dwell gods and the spirits of the dead.

 

Strength and fertility are born out of closeness and touch

Sexuality holds the promise of life - a feeling that goes beyond words and thoughts. (©Museum)

 

Religious symbols are the dialects of a universal language, outside time and space.

 

Skillful shipwrights make it possible to sail to far-off lands.

 

May you all have a nice and peaceful journey!

 

Cup-and-ring motifs at Skjaelin in Borge, South-Norway