On Shoreline Dating of Rock Art

Red‐coated rocks on the seashore: The esthetics and geology of prehistoric rock art in Alta, Arctic Norway

“…The majority of the known prehistoric hunter/gatherer engravings in Fennoscandia were created on rocks close to or on the contemporary shore, by the sea, rivers, or lakes (Gjerde, 2010a; Sognnes, 2003, p. 49), and this also applies to the Alta rock art. In recent years, major and minor landscape traits and esthetic features have been addressed when location of rock art is discussed (e.g., Bradley, 2000; Chippindale & Nash, 2004).…”

“…Esthetic and affective properties suggested as to why some places were chosen to make rock art, including proximity to prominent cliffs and mountains, waterfalls or rapids, rocks with features that resemble human faces or animals, and certain acoustic qualities (Gjerde, 2010b; Goldhahn, 2002; Lahelma, 2008, 2010; Lødøen & Mandt, 2010; Rainio et al, 2017). There are rock art sites in Fennoscandia where the geology is clearly different from the surrounding rocks (Sognnes, 2003), but such features have been addressed in a few cases only, also involving color, like on Rødøya and Røsand (rød is Norwegian for red; Sognnes, 2003, p. 204), and for the red rocks along Lake Onega (Gjerde, 2010a, p. 156). Gjerde (2010a, p. 156) suggested that color could be important at the site level, but not a decisive factor on a regional or interregional level.…”

“…Scholars observed the relation between rock art and ancient shorelines early on, and also discussed the possibilities the Holocene land uplift could offer for dating rock art and other archaeological materials (Ling, 2008, pp. 20–22; Sognnes, 2003, p. 192). However, the lack of organic materials for radiocarbon dating in the raised shorelines has caused uncertainties concerning their absolute age.…”

“…249–254; Helskog, 1983, pp. 54–55, for discussions on Alta), and in some cases considered less certain (i.e., Goldhahn, 2017; Helskog, 1983; Lødøen, 2015; Ramstad, 2000; Sognnes, 2003). Whether all the hunter/gatherer rock art in Fennoscandia located in the vicinity of the sea was created in the littoral zone is certainly debatable (Lødøen, 2015; Sognnes, 2003; Stebergløkken, 2015).…”

“…54–55, for discussions on Alta), and in some cases considered less certain (i.e., Goldhahn, 2017; Helskog, 1983; Lødøen, 2015; Ramstad, 2000; Sognnes, 2003). Whether all the hunter/gatherer rock art in Fennoscandia located in the vicinity of the sea was created in the littoral zone is certainly debatable (Lødøen, 2015; Sognnes, 2003; Stebergløkken, 2015). However, Alta is one of the sites where relative shoreline dating for chronology suggestions is considered a reasonable assumption (Goldhahn, 2017; Lødøen & Mandt, 2010, p. 22; Ramstad, 2000, p. 60; Sognnes, 2003, p. 94).…”