In Sarpsborg, Norway, one of the most impressive prehistoric rock carvings can be found. Known as the Bjørnstad Ship (Bjørnstadskipet) after the farm where it is located, it measures 4 meters long and 1.5 meters high, occupying the main part of a 40-meter-wide rock wall and being the largest Bronze Age rock carving in Northern Europe.
Archaeologists have identified that in the representations of Nordic petroglyphs carved in the rock, two types of designs related to the lifestyle of their creators predominate. On one hand, there are those linked to hunting and food gathering. On the other hand, there are iconographies associated with sedentary agriculture, as is the case with the Bjørnstad Ship.
It dates back to approximately 1000 B.C., belonging to the transitional period between the Bronze Age and the Scandinavian Iron Age. It is believed to have been created by farmers of the Corded Ware culture who were established in the area.
In prehistoric Scandinavia, ships and bowls were the most commonly engraved motifs on rocks. This demonstrates the importance of navigation for these societies.
It is possible that this rocky outcrop was a place of worship where traditions associated with the sea and shipbuilding were venerated.
On the bow and stern of the Bjørnstad Ship, two larger figures and two smaller ones (reaching a height of one meter) can be observed, perhaps paying tribute or making offerings. On the sides, two additional ships of approximately one meter in length are represented.
The figures are carved with deep grooves, although in some parts, the rock is so eroded that they are barely visible.
Real ships from the Scandinavian Bronze Age that can be compared to these representations have not yet been found. However, in Hjortspring, Denmark, a boat from the Iron Age (4th-3rd centuries B.C.) measuring about 19 meters was discovered, bearing similarities to the engraved motifs.
Researchers believe that these types of boats could sail at a speed of 8 knots (about 15 kilometers per hour) in calm waters and 3.5 knots (6.5 kilometers per hour) in open sea, making the journey between Denmark and Norway in approximately 18 hours.
This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on November 16, 2023. Puedes leer la versión en español en El Barco de Bjørnstad, la mayor talla rupestre de la Edad del Bronce en el norte de Europa
Sources
Pyntelund II Bjørnstadskipet, Bergkunst (Riksantikvaren, Consejo Nacional del Patrimonio de Noruega) | Das Bjørnstad Ship bei Sarpsborg (Großsteingräber und Megalithbauwerke) | Wikipedia
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