Incredible discovery in Sweden: many impressive rock paintings 2700 years old discovered
In the Swedish province of Bohuslän, dozens of rock paintings, about 40 in total, depicting ships, animals, and people were recently discovered. The discovery came about by chance - a group of researchers noticed irregular markings on a moss-covered rock. They seemed man-made, so the team carefully removed the vegetation.
The rock paintings, or petroglyphs, date back about 2700 years. They were discovered in the area where Bronze Age images were found in Tanum, a UNESCO site, writes Arnet News.
The petroglyphs were found on a steep cliff that once formed the edge of the island before sea levels gradually dropped by about 40 feet over several hundred years. This has led researchers to speculate that the artists used boats or a form of scaffolding laid on ice to reach the cliff face.
Moreover, the researchers who conducted the fieldwork to document the rock images built their own construction ladders to reach the rocks and document them.
The ancient images were created through a laborious process of hitting stones against the granite rock, which exposed a bottom layer of white. This color, in addition to their size, made them highly visible from both the mainland and passing ships.
"What makes the petroglyphs absolutely unique is that they are located three meters above the modern surface of the earth," the Rock Art Documentation Foundation said in a statement.
The researchers said that the images lie on a flat line that repeats the height of the sea surface from about 700 to 800 BC. The motifs are also stylistically consistent with this period.
It is noted that the latest group of petroglyphs found includes a 13-foot-long ship, as well as carved images of people, chariots, carts and horses. Their meaning remains unknown. Sometimes petroglyphs were used to mark territory, although researchers believe they were used for storytelling.
