In the northern most reaches of Norway high above the arctic circle lies the small community of Alta. Like many of the towns of northern Norway it was razed by the retreating Germans as the end of World War 2 approached. Architectually it is unremarkable, rebuilt with a utilitarian design that the extreme cold of the arctic winter encourages.

This town would be of relatively low artistic interested except that 6,000 years ago on, what was then, the shore of the fjord, early inhabitants of this area recorded their lives in rock carvings which last until today.

The stone in which they carved their stories and their religous activities is slightly recrsytalised grey-green sandstone. Formed around 1,800 million years ago it is fine grained, massive and hard.

There may have been as few as 50-100 people living in this remote community but they left a legacy that is as fascinating as it is cryptic. In the scene below men can be seen hunting bear, reindeer and elk. Central to this carving and many of the others are the bear which are thought to have had special spiritual significance.

Below is a scene depicting the trapping and slaughtering of reindeer behind a large fence that was presumably constructed for the purpose.

and finally a scene from an expedition in a large canoe. The bow of the canoe, on the right, is adorned with a elk head. Elks were probably also considered to have mystical powers and their ability to swim well meant that they endowed the boat with seaworthiness. There are men holding weapons, presumably on a hunting expedition. The "T" shaped objects held by the men in the centre of the boat are thought to have represented axes.

Click on the images for more detail or click here to visit the Alta Museum