Prehistoric Imagery and Landscapes: Rock art in Stjørdal, Trøndelag, Norway

Sailing Rock Art Boats: A reassessment of seafaring abilities in Bronze Age Scandinavia and the introduction of the sail in the North

“…(E1) Tossene-10 (Högberg, unpublished, Vitlycke Museum), (E2) Askum-17:1 (Bengtsson 1998:12), (E3) Hammer, Beitstaden (Gjessing 1936, pl. LIV;Hagen 1966), (E4) Bjørngård II (Sognnes 2001:176-7), (E5) ibid., (E6) Leifall III (Sognnes 2001). Column F) rudder or steering oar (F1) Tanum-57 (Bengtsson 1995:20), (F2) Hegre VII (Sognnes 2001:175), (F3) Tanum-254 (Högberg, Vitlycke museum, see also Milstreau & Prøhl 1999:70-71), (F4) Enköping-280 (Coles 2000, fig.88), (F5) Tanum-835 (Högberg, Vitlycke museum), (F6) Askum-15:1 (Bengtsson 1998:11), (F7) Tanum-273 (Milstreau & Prøhl 1999:102-103), (F8) Tossene-10 (Unpublished Vitlycke museum), (F9) Bjørngård II (Sognnes 2001:176-177)...............................................................................................................172 standing on the pontoon with the canoe and its bipod mast up.…”

“…Finally, the graves would be found on the highest ground as if almost defining the areas. This focus on space and territories have been applied to a whole range of other large scale spatial rock art studies, taking into account ever more variables including metalwork conglomerations, natural water sources or other natural resources as well as various figurative distribution patterns to mention just a few (Bertilsson 1987a;Burenhult 1980;Coles 2000;Gjerde 2002Gjerde , 2010Goldhahn 2010;Helskog 1999;Larsson 1986;Ling 2008;Mandt 1972;Nordbladh 1980;Nordenborg Myhre 2004;Sognnes 2001;Thedéen 2002;Welinder 1974).…”

“…Such differences have recently been explained in terms of artistic expressions of individual carvers, but it has also been suggested that the differences in style must have occurred because the individual carver was being influenced by boats that appeared in his or her own regional area (Goldhahn 1997:12, 14). An interesting aspect here is that even though it must be apparent that there are regional differences in the way in which many rock art boats have been depicted, suggesting different types of boats, the functional aspect of the boat itself is either downplayed or ignored in recent research (Adams 2003:205;Sognnes 2001). There are several instances where for example axes, shields or swords carved into the rocks can be directly related to the contemporary archaeological material culture (in addition to which different types of ards clearly have been identified) (Bengtsson & Hygen 2000:107;Bertilsson 1999;Kaul 1998), so why not the boats?…”

“…Varenius (1992:10) It is interesting to note how status and fame during the Viking Age were gained as a warrior, through travelling, through providing gifts (being rich), or through being a good seaman (reaching the right shore...also highlighted in the Saga above). In many ways the ideals about fame and fortune brought to a man owning a mighty ship with which to travel afar that we meet in the skaldic poetry of the Viking Era (Larsson G 2007:362), can be compared to Helms' (1988) Over the years, iconographic material indicating that the sail was known and possibly used in Scandinavia in the Bronze Age and early Iron Age has emerged -mainly in the rock art -but the material has been scarce and generally presented in terms of individual occurrences on a local basis (Arturson 1987;Burenhult 1973aBurenhult , 1987Halldin 1952:75, 77;Humbla & von Prost 1937:71;Fett & Fett 1941;Sognnes 2001;Stöltig 1996), and has so far sadly been overlooked or ridiculed as an impossibility. Indeed, the ambiguity in the interpretation of rock art imagery in general is a concern as well as the unwillingness to accept these records as 'archaeological evidence'.…”

“…1475, C) Detail of a sailed vessel on the 7 th century BC Novilara Stele from northern Italy (after Althin 1945:55, Abb. 20) Post 1937:72-73; Malmer 1981:51, 53;Nordenborg Myhre 2004:230;Rausing 1994:71, 78;Sognnes 2001;Stöltig 1996Stöltig :32, 1999.…”