Helleristninger
295 petroglyph sites and the three artists who engraved them
Allan Krill, Professor of Geology
(30 minute audio, December 25, 2024)
In June 2021, while looking at the Alta petroglyphs (helleristninger) with my geology students, I realized that those engravings could not have been pecked with Stone Age tools. Stone points are brittle and shatter when struck. Quartz crystals, for example, are more brittle and break more easily than glass. Antler points and bone points would be too soft. We can see that the pecking tool was very sharp and could be accurately positioned. It kept its shape without breaking, strike after strike. The point must have been iron, and the petroglyphs must be from the Iron Age. Wrought iron boat nails would be the perfect tool.
Nailpoint engraving technique. Left: Longship with animal-head prow and a crew of 15 or 30 men. Right: Cervid (reindeer, moose, or elk.)
Some of the petroglyph images are Viking-style longships, with large crews. Such boats are for long-distance travel, not for fishing. It would probably take two to three weeks to paddle the full length of Norway. There would always be a hammer and spare nails on a longship for necessary repairs. A petroglyph artist who was a strong paddler would be welcome to join such trips. People with longships would not spend winters in arctic Alta, where the sun sets on November 24th and doesn't rise again until January 16th. They probably visited Alta in the midnight-sun season, like I do.
I identify individual artists by their quirks. From studying photographs and tracings of petroglyphs, I now think that only three artists Ñwhom I call Steinn Stikkmann, Ingi Innrisser, and Oddr OmrisserÑ made nearly all the petroglyphs in Norway, Sweden, and NW Russia. There are no pecked petroglyphs in Finland, or in large parts of Sweden, or in Aust-Agder Norway, simply because none of the petroglyph artists went there. Ê
I think that Steinn Stikkmann invented the nailpoint technique, and the other two artists got the idea from him. There are runes on five of his sites (Stuberg, Tessem, KŒrstad, Askum, Herrestad). The runes were written with characters of the Elder Futhark alphabet, which was in use about 400 CE. Swastikas from the same time period are engraved on three of those panels (Stuberg, KŒrstad, Askum). That gives us the age of the earliest petroglyphs. All three artists sometimes showed longships with animal-head prows, precursors of Viking dragon-head prows. But since none of the hundreds of petroglyph boats show sails, the petroglyphs must have been made before 800 CE.
The links below record my evidence and hypotheses as I develop them (including hypotheses that failed.)
289. Steinn Stikkmann left his mark on the island Bornholm
(4/2025)
287. "Same ship, different day"
(4/2025)
286. Mostly cup marks on Orust, because there is no Bohus granite there
(4/2025)
284. Steinn Stikkmann made a U-turn at the southern tip of Norway
(4/2025)
283. Only three traveling artists (not four)
(4/2025)
282. Steinn Stikkmann loved engraving cup marks
(4/2025)
281. Sites in BohuslŠn with swastikas and Elder Futhark runes by Steinn Stikkmann
(4/2025)
279. The maypole (majstŒngen) of Tanum was probably not engraved by Steinn Stikkmann
(4/2025)
276. Innrisser and Omrisser were together at Glemmestad (2/2025)
275. StikkmannÕs phalluses were about masculinity and power, not fertility (2/2025)
274. Innrisser and Omrisser were together at Ekeberg, Oslo (2/2025)
273. Innrisser and Omrisser were together at Salthammeren, Hardangerfjord (2/2025)
272. Petroglyph sites record StikkmannÕs journey from Bergen to Stavanger to Telemark
271. Four traveling graffiti artists and one traveling graffiti tagger (2/2025)
270. Petroglyph sites show how Stikkmann traveled from Skien to the Bohus granite
269. At Bardal, InnrisserÕs deer got humps and bigger heads (2/2025)
268. How Innrisser's deer (finally) got their humps (2/2025)
267. At Selbustrand, I imagine Stikkmann thinking: 'These boulders are like from heaven!'
263. Ingi InnrisserÕs early styles of drawing humans at Vingen, Storsteinen, and Amtmannsnes
262. Ingi InnrisserÕs birthplace was probably Skatestraumen near Vingen (1/2025)
261. InnrisserÕs powerful animal-head sticks (Alta, Vingen, and NŠmforsen) (1/2025)
258. Oddr OmrisserÕs birthplace was probably between Stršmsund and NŠmforsen, northern Sweden
257/259. Porpoise images show that Omrisser visited Tennes early in his career (1/2025)
256. StikkmannÕs birthplace was probably Foss in Gauldalen, central Norway (1/2025)
ResearchGate PDF with links to 220 petroglyph sites (12/2024)
248/249/250. Stikkmann preferred Iddefjord (Bohus) granite panels for his petroglyphs
247. Petroglyphs in Skien, tracings by Marstrander (1969) (12/2024)
246. Examples (2) of petroglyphs from the book 'HŠllristningar och Kultbruk' by Almgren (1927)
245. Examples (1) of petroglyphs from the book 'HŠllristningar och Kultbruk' by Almgren (1927)
244. Stikkmann's petroglyphs date the Kivik King's Grave to about 400 CE (12/2024)
242. Petroglyphs of supposed 'Bronze Age boats' are all from the Iron Age (12/2024)
241. Distinctive images: Another huge Stikkmann longship discovered this month (11/2024)
238.
Ingi Innrisser could have made all the '¯stnorske veideristninger' in a single summer
237.
Distinctive images: Outlines of bears, by Oddr Omrisser (11/2024)
236. Alphabetical list of petroglyph sites and artists (11/2024)
235.
The rock art painting motifs in Finland are very different than those in northern Sweden
234.
Ramqvist map shows limited motifs of ocher petroglyphs in northern Sweden (11/2024)
233.
Map from Jamtli.com of all known ocher-paint petroglyph sites in northern Sweden
232.
Ocher-paint petroglyphs in Mid-Norway (11/2024)
231.
Distinctive images: Porpoises, by Oddr Omrisser (11/2024)
230/239.
Oddr Omrisser made ocher paintings in Sweden in winter, standing on ice-covered lakes
226/227/228/229.
Did Innrisser carve the 'Surnadal man' before or after the 'Ausevik men'?
225.
Stikkmann traveled to ¯stfold-BohuslŠn via Sporaneset, missing Aust-Agder (11/2024)
224.
Maps of BŒrdr BŒtmann's sites in Stavanger and SW Norway, from Fett & Fett (1941)
223.
Oddr OmrisserÕs sites and works in Mid Norway and Sweden (11/2024)
222.
Stein Stikkmann, BŒrdr Stikkmann, Ingi Innrisser & Oddr Omrisser were 'pre-Viking Banksys'
221.
Distinctive images: A big fish (by Omrisser) on top of other petroglyphs at Alta and Stavanger
219.
How could one artist produce petroglyphs at 2700 sites in the ¯stfold-BohuslŠn area?
216.
Distinctive images: Deer looking back, by Oddr Omrisser (11/2024)
214/217.
Distinctive images: A few 'giants' on a longship, by Steinn Stikkmann (11/2024)
213/215.
Distinctive images: Complex scenes, by Ingi Innrisser (10/2024)
212/260.
Distinctive images: Large, naturalistic animals, by Oddr Omrisser (10/2024)
211.
Distinctive images: Chariot pulled by 2 thin horses, by Steinn Stikkmann (10/2024)
209.
Distinctive images: Isolated deer head, by Oddr Omrisser (10/2024)
208.
Distinctive images: Man approaching tiny woman from behind, by Oddr Omrisser
207.
Distinctive images: Rhombs with 3D effect, by Oddr Omrisser (10/2024)
206/243.
Distinctive images: Processions, by Steinn Stikkmann (10/2024)
204.
Map of sites where 4 petroglyph artists worked, and 3 areas where no petroglyphs are known
199.
Petroglyphs tell about the 'Pre-Viking Age' in Scandinavia (10/2024)
198.
Photos from Johs. B¿e (1932) show that a sharp point was used to peck Vingen petroglyphs
197.
'Omrisser' (Outliner) never visited Vingen (10/2024)
196.
All the helleristninger at Vingen were made by one visiting artist: 'Innrisser' (Inliner)
195.
'Inliner' may have used boat nails from Slettnes III to make petroglyphs at Slettnes IV
194.
Inliner's work now recognized on boulders at Slettnes (5/2024) 193.
Stickman (the first) and Outliner (the last) of the great Scandinavian
petroglyph artists (Video) Lecture
on Stickman and Outliner (first 40 seconds in Norwegian, then 35 minutes in
English) 191.
Lecture on Stickman and Outliner (20 figures) (11/2023) 190.
Map of 90 petroglyph sites and typology used to identify 7 artists (10/2023) 181.
Red-ochre painting at Tingvoll and at FŒngsjšn: a fourth rock-art
technique used by Outliner 178.
Map of 90 sites where petroglyph artists worked, and 3 areas where none are
known 173.
Stickman may have made all of the petroglyphs in the ¯stfold-BohuslŠn
area (8/2023) 172.
Why are there no known petroglyph sites in Aust-Agder? (8/2023) 171.
Outliner's large humans at Alta, Bardal, B¿la, Evenhus, Forselv, and LŒnke (8/2023) 170.
Futhark runes and a swastika independently date the KŒrstad
petroglyphs to about 400 AD 165.
KŒrstad petroglyphs (200-500 AD) show runes and
Hjortspring-style boats (7/2023) 163.
Outliner learned to draw longships at m¿y (Stavanger) and then drew them at Apana
(Alta) 161.
At Bogge, chasing after petroglyph artists (7/2023) 158.
Longship and boat petroglyphs at Apana gŒrd Alta (7/2023) 155.
Matching images at 9 and 23 meters above sea level at Alta (7/2023) 121/154. Lumpers and splitters: I am a lumper, whereas archaeologists have refused to lump (2) 152.
Who made the longships of Iron-Age-style at Apana,
Alta? (7/2023) 150. Outliner carved outsized petroglyphs on top of
previous artworks at Bogge, Bardal,
Alta (2) 148.
Learn to recognize Outliner's boats
(7/2023) 147.
"...boat depictions comparable to the South Scandinavian Bronze Age and
Iron Age boats" 146.
Bergbukten 1 (Alta): two artworks for the price of
one (7/2023) 141/145.
Inliner's 'nailpoint' reindeer at Apana gŒrd (8-10 m. above present sea level) (7/2023) 144.
The famous petroglyph 'Man on skis' was probably meant to be a man standing in
a boat 143.
Two 'owners' of reindeer at Bergbukten 4B Alta ('Inliner' and 'Outliner') (7/2023) 142.
Animal-head sticks and animal-head boats in Alta petroglyphs (7/2023) 140 & 149 & 153. Map of six petroglyph artists
and sites where they worked (3) (7/2023) 139.
Amtmann Ñ another petroglyph artist that can be recognized at
Alta (7/2023) 137 & 138. A few hours' work by Outliner at KŒfjord, Alta (2)
(7/2023) 136.
Outliner carved outsized petroglyphs on top of previous artworks at Bogge, Bardal, Alta 133. Outliner's petroglyphs are easy to recognize, and
found only in the north (2) (7/2023) 132.
Stykket is an example of 'distressed' art by Outliner (7/2023) 131. Petroglyphs at Leiknes:
rock art from one year, or from five hundred years? (2) (7/2023) 130.
Petroglyphs at Alta that I ascribe to Outliner and Inliner
(tracings in the book by Helskog) 128.
Some petroglyph moose at Alta that I ascribe to Outliner and Inliner (7/2023) 126.
Some petroglyphs in central Scandianvia that I
ascribe to Outliner and Inliner (7/2023) 124.
Outliner's petroglyphs are easy to recognize, and found only in the north (7/2023) 123.
Outliner drew 'bulging' eyes at Brennholtet and Leiknes, and unique mouth lines (7/2023) 122.
Iron longship nails were ideal for making 'nailpoint'
petroglyphs (7/2023) 120.
Photos taken at Tennes (GrŒberget,
Balsfjord) in northern Norway (6/2023) 118.
Photos taken at Tennes (Kirkely,
Balsfjord) in northern Norway (6/2023) 117.
Photos taken at Tennes (Bukkhammaren,
Balsfjord) in northern Norway (6/2023) 116.
Petroglyphs at Leiknes: rock art from one year, or
from five hundred years? (6/2023) 115.
No petroglyphs or Viking artifacts have been found in Finland (6/2023) 114.
Outliner's nailpoint art at the Ole Pedersen site, Hjemmeluft, Alta
(6/2023) 113. Why my manuscripts were rejected by the journals ÔVikingÕ and ÔPrimitive Tider
(6/2023) 112.
Stickman's early showpiece at Leirfall is currently
closed to the public (6/2023) 109.
Outliner's elegant pose: deer looking backward (6/2023) 108.
Close-up photos of Inliner's 'nailpoint
art' at the Ole Pedersen site, Hjemmeluft, Alta 106.
Map of five petroglyph artists and sites where they worked (6/2023) 103.
Outliner 'scraped' his petroglyphs in Nordland (he
did not 'polish' them) (6/2023) 102.
Ismo Luukkonen shows
petroglyphs of 83 Scandinavian sites for you to study at home 101.
Outliner's reindeer and moose at Fykanvatnet, near Glomfjord (6/2023) 100.
Outliner's scraped moose petroglyph at Mj¿nes (VŒgan) (6/2023) 99.
Outliner's reindeer and man at B¿la, near Steinkjer (6/2023) 98.
Outliner's 'design-signature' at Hell (near Stj¿rdal) and Forselv (near Narvik) (6/2023) 97.
Inliner's 'nailpoint art'
at KŒfjord, Alta
(6/2023) 96.
Outliner's 'nailpoint art' in a one-man show at Apanes, Alta (6/2023) 95.
No petroglyphs are found in suitable rocks near the shorelines (why not?) (6/2023) 93.
Map of three main petroglyph artists
(6/2023) 92.
It was typical of Outliner to ignore the feet (5/2023) 91.
Alta - KŒfjord petroglyphs seem to show early S‡mi
culture and early Viking culture 89.
Distinguishing between Inliner's work and Outliner's
work at Alta (5/2023) 87 & 88. Outliner drew collars on some of his reindeer
(2) (5/2023) 86.
A boat with a square sail (5/2023) 85.
S‡mi people lived with domesticated reindeer also before Viking times (5/2023) 84.
Stickman trained in soft sedimentary rocks in the Stj¿rdal
area (5/2023) 82.
Outliner used three different techniques to outline bodies and body parts (5/2023) 81.
Three artists made nearly all the petroglyphs around Trondheimsfjorden (5/2023) 80.
Runes and petroglyphs at Ystines / Ydstines near Stj¿rdal (5/2023) 79.
Petroglyph artists probably spoke a Scandinavian language (5/2023) 78.
Inliner probably traveled to Ekeberg
(Oslo) by boat, not by foot (5/2023) 77.
Artist's names are not set in stone
(5/2023) 76.
Digital caliper: a new tool for describing petroglyphs (5/2023) 75.
A paradigm for Scandinavian petroglyphs (manuscript to journal Primitive Tider) (5/2023) 66.
Shoe prints. Artists often learn or copy from others (2/2023) 64.
Names of places where petroglyph artists exhibited their work (2/2023) 62.
Five petroglyph artists can be recognized by their motifs and artistic styles (manus. in prep) 61.
An alternative interpretation of some petroglyphs in Finnmark (manuscript to journal Viking) (2/2023) 59.
Boats with animal heads among petroglyphs at Peterborough Canada (1/2023) 56.
Vikings visited many coasts and rivers in their longships (1/2023) 55.
Petroglyphs in Peterborough Canada, probably made by a Viking artist (1/2023) 53.
"Shoreline dates" are not really dates at all. Better to call them
"Shore maximum ages" 52.
Hard rocks can't be engraved using sharp stone-age tools. Most Scandinavian
rocks are hard. 51.
A simple explanation for petroglyph cup marks (12/2022) 45-49. 'Iron-age Banksys': how
widely did they spread their wall-art? (5) (11/2022) 44.
Most petroglyphs were made within sight and shouting distance of the shoreline (11/2022) 43.
Petroglyph shoreline dates should be referred to as Çshore-limiting datesÈ (11/2022) 42.
Lichen grows on all exposed rocks in Norway (11/2022) 39.
Shoreline dating improperly used to date Vyg whale
hunting (11/2022) 38.
Petroglyph evidence for cultural exchange between Vikings and S‡mi (11/2022) 36.
NŠmforsen petroglyphs supposedly show a 4000-year
spread of carvings (7/2023) 34.
Petroglyph artists (300-800 AD) were Scandinavian and did not visit Finland (11/2022) 33.
What does this strange petroglyph really show? (11/2022) 32.
Spoiler alert: my musings kill good stories and eliminate fun puzzles (11/2022) 31.
Arctic summer hunting trips, destination Alta (11/2022) 30.
The Gamnes petroglyph and knapped-flint site can be
no older than 1700 years 29.
See how flint arrowheads are knapped (Youtube) (11/2022) 27. Newly discovered petroglyphs at 26 m show shoreline-dating
gives us falsely old ages 26. Grahame Clark (1975): The Earlier Stone Age Settlement of
Scandinavia (11/2022) 24.
How 'shoreline dating' has been used for Alta petroglyphs (11/2022) 21.
A petroglyph of a longship with an animal-head prow nails its age (11/2022) 20.
Biases maximize the age and archaeological value of Leirfall
petroglyphs (11/2022) 19.
The Professor's Old Claims (12/2022) 17.
A Viking-age neck ring (torc) brought to Alta and
abandoned there (11/2022) 16.
Why Alta petroglyphs do not include women and children (11/2022) 15.
"Here's our stuff. Ready to use again this summer!" (11/2022) 14.
30 rowers (15 pairs) in a longship in Alta (11/2022) 13.
Ships with an animal-head prow, manned by long-distance rowers (10/2022) 12.
The Kvalsund ship from 780 AD resembles an Alta
petroglyph (10/2022) 11.
The Hjortspring boat (350 BCE) had a crew of 20 rowers. It was built without
nails 10.
Alta petroglyph boats. Myth vs. reality (10/2022) 9.
Could Alta boats really have been made before iron nails were available? (10/2022) 8.
The words "Viking" and "Iron" are taboo in archaeology
publications on Nordic petroglyphs 7.
L¿d¿en (2015) on the experimental production of
petroglyph images using a stone tool 6.
The petroglyph artist at Storsteinen had no
"sketchbook", only one "page" to draw on 5.
Deep narrow engravings could not have been made before metal chisels were
available 4.
BŒrd Amundsen's article on the Viking-like culture
that is said to be over 3000 years old 3.
Jan Magne Gjerde (2010)
Rock art and landscapes (10/2022) 2.
Alta rock art is probably Viking rock art (10/2022) 1.
Boat petroglyphs at Alta, Norway (photos at Donsmaps.com) (10/2022)
It is possible to consider the motifs, drawing skills, and styles of the artists, and speculate about their artistic careers and travels. I explain my current interpretations below. You can find evidence for most of my hypotheses in the links at the bottom of this page. You are welcome to publish your own comments and hypotheses here: https://groups.io/g/VikingRockArt
Steinn Stikkmann discovered how to use a nail as a 'stabbing tool' (stikkvŒpen) to engrave relatively soft rocks in Gauldalen, central Norway. He also tried engraving with a knife point. Archaeologists have noted that the petroglyphs in Gauldalen are relatively crude. Stikkmann practiced engraving by making round 'cup marks' and sets of matching shoe prints that never show a pattern of walking. He loved engraving boats. He drew many longships with two projections (called 'horns' or 'beaks') fore and two projections aft, like the Iron Age boat that was buried at Hjortspring, Denmark in about 350 BCE. But most of Stikkmann's longships were more seaworthy, with higher bows and sterns like Viking Age longships. Most of Stikkmann's boats are asymmetrical with long curved keel-extensions below the curved prow, and shorter keel-stabilizers below the curved stern. These are said to be Bronze Age boats, but an actual boat of that style has never been found in Scandinavia. I think Stikkmann's boats were the common types in Scandinavian in 400 CE and have nothing to do with the Bronze Age.
Stikkmann's art is highly stylized and easy to recognize. He drew extremely skinny horses, men with exaggerated calf muscles, long necks, and often with phalluses Ñsometimes an obvious phallus and scrotum, but usually disguised as a possible knife, sword, stick, or extraneous line. He sometimes showed interactions among figures. He showed skinny horses pulling a chariot (at Staveneset, Begby, Bjšrneršd, Brastad, FrŠnnarp, Kivik, and elsewhere) and processions of about nine men (at Leirfall, Bakke, Tanum, HŠljesta, Ekenberg, and Kivik). His motifs were actually quite limited, considering the thousands of engravings that he made. He exaggerated some things, such as extra-long longships with over a hundred crew members, and captains shown as giants standing in ships. At several places he showed an acrobat doing a backward somersault, usually above a longship.
Stikkmann's petroglyph sites show where he traveled. He started at Foss, where he practiced engraving by making mostly cup marks on over 50 different panels. Foss was a wealthy settlement in 400 CE. Because of the waterfall ('foss') on the Gaula River, the chief of a travel station there could control transport to upper Gauldalen. Archaeologists have found a chief's burial site at Foss containing artifacts of gold, and dated it to about 400 CE. A bog-iron smelting facility has also been found. Stikkmann may have been a chief's son, since he was educated enough to write with runes. Stikkmann's real name may have been Foss: place names have been used since Viking times as surnames, and there are currently over 3000 Norwegians with the surname Foss.
From Foss, Stikkmann went to the lake Selbusj¿en and then to Stj¿rdal, where he may have stayed for a year or so. Then he went to Steinkjer, and further north to Nordland. He left central Norway and went by longship around the west coast all the way to the southern tip of Norway. He did not continue further, which helps explain why there are no petroglyphs in Aust-Agder. Instead, he made a U-turn and went back to Stavanger and then inland to Telemark and Skien. From there he went wide around Oslofjord and then came to ¯stfold-BohuslŠn of eastern Norway.
Stikkmann spent many years working with the Bohus granite in the ¯stfold-BohuslŠn area. He made petroglyphs on over 3000 rock panels in that granite, which could be an average of 100 panels per year for 30 years. Most panels include cup marks, and many show only cup marks. The Bohus granite was ideal for his petroglyphs. It is hard and smooth, with no layering and relatively few fractures. (Gustav Vigeland used Bohus granite to carve statues and the monolith in Frognerparken.) Stikkmann took some long trips to check out other areas. He visited eastern Sweden, the southern tip of Sweden, and the islands Gotland and Bornholm. He must have been famous, because he was invited to engrave rock slabs for a coffin in Bredaršr, the 'King's Grave' of Kivik. I suppose that he owned no house or property, and that people gave him room and board wherever he went. Being well traveled and educated enough to know runes, he was probably a popular house guest.
Ingi Innrisser drew mostly cervids Ñ deer, reindeer, moose, or elk. They are schematic, not naturalistic. They often have small pointed heads. They cannot usually be identified as to species. A few at Vingen may be horses, since they seem to have riders. He liked to decorate the bodies of cervids and humans with ribs or various patterns, including geometric designs. He sometimes made elaborate story pictures: the migration of cervids at Gamnes and NŠmforsen, S‡mi people at Alta collecting their reindeer in corrals, bears at Alta leaving their winter dens and making long trails of footprints in the snow, men with bows and arrows hunting bears and reindeer at Alta, men on skis at Vyg and Kanozero hunting cervids and bears, and fleets of boats with animal-head prows harpooning beluga whales in the White Sea of Russia.
From analysis of Innrisser's motifs and styles, I am trying to follow his career. I think that his first work was at Vingen, where there are thousands of images. I think he made them all. They include his new-beginner attempts on loose rocks of all sizes and situations. He engraved hundreds of strange hook figures. They comprise about 20% of his images at Vingen and are still not really understood. He may have engraved the hooks simply to practice engraving. He made them also at Alta, and there we can see that they are animal-head sticks being held up by powerful people. Maybe Innrisser was inspired by an animal-head walking stick that his father or grandfather had used.
Vingen is an uninhabited place, and I suspect that Innrisser actually lived in the populated Skatestraumen area nearby. He may have known about Stikkmann's nailpoint engravings. After engraving petroglyphs at Vingen, he took his first long trip to Tennes and Alta. I think he showed Omrisser how to engrave rocks on that trip. His next major work was probably at Ausevik. At most of his sites, he was together with Omrisser. Omrisser encouraged Innrisser to make his deer more anatomically correct Ñwith shoulder humps, larger heads, and muscular legs. Innrisser and Omrisser took a long trip together to eastern Norway, following the valleys and rivers of Gudbrandsdalen and Drammen.
The last sites of Innrisser's career were the ones in Russia near the White Sea. There he drew humans mostly in profile, not face-on.
Oddr Omrisser was the last of the three artists. We can be sure of that because he had the curious habit of defacing rock panels by carving large and inappropriate outline images right on top of others. He cluttered most of his own panels in that way, and Stikkmann's panels at Bardal and Stavanger, and Innrisser's panels at Alta and Bogge. He usually made outlines of his objects Ñof animals, of boats, of people, and even of the antlers of reindeer and the penises of men. He made images large and even life size when possible. His engravings are typically overlapping and incomplete.
Early in his career, Omrisser made rock paintings at dozens of sites in northern Sweden, and a few sites in central Norway, and maybe Transfarelv in Alta. He used red ocher pigment, probably mixed with oil or fat that penetrates the rock surface, leaving red traces that are visible after more than a thousand years. He worked mostly during the winter in Sweden, when he could stand on frozen lakes and paint cliffs on the lake edge. Later, he also made engravings standing on frozen lakes. I suspect that he was born south of Stršmsund Sweden, where there is a cluster of his rock paintings, all within skiing distance from each other. That is not far from NŠmforsen, where he and Innrisser made nailpoint petroglyphs, also during wintertime when the river had little water.
Omrisser was a naturalist, and many of his animal outlines were highly naturalistic. It is usually possible to identify the species of his cervids, birds, fish, and whales. He often drew a line for the mouth, but no eye, and often ignored the feet. He drew two ears forming a V, and showed only one leg in front and one leg in the rear of his animals. He sometimes showed internal organs. He put rhombic designs on many of his panels, including rhombs with a special 3D-effect (at FŒngsjšn, Hell, and Forselv). Those 3D-rhombs are so special that I think of them as Omrisser's signature or fingerprint. He rarely showed interactions among figures. However, at two sites (Bardal and Alta) he showed a large naturalistic man with an erection approaching a diminutive woman.
I think that Omrisser's earliest engravings were at Tennes with Innrisser, because his drawings there are amateurish. He probably engraved those petroglyphs without first drawing the images with charcoal. His next engravings were at Alta, also with Innrisser. He visited Alta other summers as well, after his drawing and engraving skills had improved.
Omrisser used four different petroglyph techniques during his career. He started with red ocher stain, but mostly he used the nailpoint technique. On two panels of soft rocks (at GŠrde, Hell) he used the point of a knife to engrave. Late in his career, at the peak of his artistic skill, he discovered that he could quickly and easily make large petroglyphs by scraping away black lichen that covers the surfaces of white granites. He made life-sized images of animals (and a 4.3 meter long boat) using that technique at seven coastal sites in Nordland (Leiknes, Fykanvatn, Mj¿nes, Nes, Sagelva, Valle, and m¿ya).
Tryggvi Tagger. In our 'Urban Age' we are familiar with graffiti and tagging. Petroglyphs were graffiti art, and Stikkmann, Innrisser, and Omrisser were 'Iron Age Banksys'. A fourth person, whom I call Tryggvi Tagger, made cup marks on boulders in high mountain areas of southern Norway. Those engravings were not artistic, but simply marked his presence. I think he learned the nailpoint technique from seeing Stikkmann's engravings in Ullensvang on the east side of Hardangerfjord. Then Tagger made hundreds of cup marks on about 50 boulders near those sites. From there he went north and northeast, tagging cup marks on over a hundred boulders over a huge area, as far away as 150 km from Ullensvang.
Boats by Stikkmann probably how most boats looked about 400 CE. Some are symmetric Hjortspring-style, and some are very longships with symmetric bows and sterns, strongly curved. But most of his boats are asymmetric. Longships by Innrisser and Omrisser have animal-head bows and curved sterns with no keel-stabilizers. They are more like Viking longships, so I suspect that Innrisser and Omrisser lived a few centuries later than Stikkmann. Omrisser actually made many types of boats, including a few like Stikkmann's. He studied Stikkmann's boats at m¿y (Stavanger) and then chose one that he liked and made his own outlined versions of it at m¿y and then at Apana in Alta. One of his boat copies at m¿y is 5.5 meters long Ñthe largest boat petroglyph in Scandinavia. Omrisser liked making large images.
Other Scandinavians engraved runestones. About 50 runestones with Elder Futhark characters are known in Norway and Sweden. I know of none that include images. There are over 2000 runestones written with (Younger) Futhark characters during the Viking Age (800-1030 CE). Many of them have images, but of different styles than Stikkmann, Innrisser, or Omrisser.
Petroglyphs cannot be dated directly, and that has been a problem in archaeology. People expect archaeologists to tell them how old petroglyphs are, and everyone appreciates artifacts more if they are very old. Archaeologists adopted the 'shoreline dating' method a century ago, which maximizes the ages of artifacts. Shoreline dating gives the times that the land areas were lifted above the sea during post-glacial uplift. Those are the oldest possible times of human activity on that land Ñnot the most likely times.
Shoreline dating and Stone Age archaeology became firmly established by the claims of Anders Nummedal. He was a school teacher with an education in geology. I contend that he made artifacts himself, and then said he found them on uplifted beach terraces from 1909 to 1939. Many of his artifacts are chipped from polished beach cobbles of poor quality stone. There are no rust stains or lichens on the chipped surfaces, showing that the stones are freshly chipped. His goal was to create a belief in Stone Age inhabitants, and to create an archaeology career for himself. He fabricated finds on uplifted Stone Age beaches at over 200 sites in central Norway and over 60 sites in Finnmark. He wrote that he easily found chipped stones, and that it was his fate to discover Norway's prehistoric settlements.
Archaeologists were fooled by Nummedal's deceit for many years. Then they tried to avoid thinking about it, and stopped including references to his pioneering publications in their own publications. They did not want to ruin the reputation of Norwegian Stone Age archaeology and their own careers. I have explained Nummedal's hoaxes in detail at Hoaxyz.com, and translated his most influential book Le Finnmarkien: Les origines de la civilisation dans l'extrme-nord de l'Europe. My goal is to encourage new archaeology students to read Nummedal's original works and be aware of his falsifications.
My alternative paradigm is shunned by archaeologists, who are caught in the paradigm that petroglyphs reflect cultural traditions, and were made by local inhabitants in relation to rituals at significant places over hundreds of years. New students will generally accept whatever paradigm is taught to them, but professionals whose expertise lies within a paradigm generally try to avoid a paradigm shift. (I know this from research for my book Not Getting the Drift about the paradigm shift to plate tectonics in geology.) Archaeologists have not answered my emails or come to my lectures, and journal editors will not send my manuscripts to peer review. They won't be associated with me or help me correct my mistakes. They would prefer that if there must be a new paradigm, it should be developed over many years by professional archaeologists. But as a professor, I want to document my research. I also want to show this paradigm to new students, to help them make good choices at the beginning of their careers.
I hope that you will study Scandinavian petroglyphs. You may share your own evidence and hypotheses here:
https://groups.io/g/VikingRockArt
Allan Krill
allankrill@gmail.com
295 sites. Click on a site name to see some of the petroglyph images.
Almfjellet, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Alta, Finnmark (Innrisser + Omrisser)
Alta Bergbukten 1, Finnmark (Innrisser shown in red)Ê(Omrisser shown in blue)
Alta KŒfjord, Finnmark (Innrisser shown in black)Ê(Omrisser shown in blue)
Alta Amtmannsnes, Finnmark (Innrisser)
Alta Apanes, Finnmark (Omrisser)
Arnstad, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Askum, BohuslŠn +page (Stikkmann)
Askvoll, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Aspeberget, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Aubeberget, Rogaland +page (Stikkmann)
Auran, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Ausevik, Vestland (Innrisser)
Backa, BohuslŠn +page (Stikkmann)
Bakke, Tr¿ndelagÊÊ(Stikkmann)
Bakke-Kalhagen, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Balken, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Bardal I, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann + Omrisser)
Bardal I, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser, with Stikkmann's work not shown)
Bardal II, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann + Omrisser)
Bardal III, Tr¿ndelag (Innrisser)
Bavneh¿j, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Begby, ¯stfold (Stikkmann)
Berga, VŠstmanland (Stikkmann)
Berget, Buskerud (Stikkmann)
Bingsfossen, Akershus +page (Stikkmann)
Bjšrksta, VŠstmanland (Stikkmann)Ê
Bj¿rngŒrd, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)Ê
Bj¿rset, M¿re og Romsdal (Omrisser?)
Blindern, Oslo (Stikkmann)Ê
BlŒholt, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Bogge/Boggestranda I, II, III, M¿re og Romsdal (Innrisser + Omrisser)
Bogge I, M¿re og Romsdal (InnrisserÊ+ Omrisser)
Bogge II, M¿re og Romsdal (Omrisser)
Bogge III, M¿re og Romsdal (Omrisser)
Boglšsa, Uppland (Stikkmann)
Boglšsaby, Uppland (Stikkmann)
BokenŠs, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Borgenveien, ¯stfold (Stikkmann)
Bornholm (Stikkmann)
Brandskog, UpplandÊ(Stikkmann)
Brastad, BohuslŠn Ê+pageÊ(Stikkmann)
Brennholtet, Nordland (Omrisser)
Bremset, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Bro, BohuslŠnÊ(Stikkmann)
Brobakken, Buskerud (Stikkmann)
BrogŒrd, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Bru, Rogaland (Stikkmann + Omrisser)
Bruteigsteinen, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Br¾ndesgŒrd, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Bu¿y, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
B¿, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
B¿la, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
BŠrfendal, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Dalbo, Akershus +page (Stikkmann)
DisŒsen, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Dokkfl¿yvatnet, Innlandet (Innrisser? + Omrisser?)
Drotten, Innlandets (Innrisser + Omrisser)
Duved, JŠmtland (Omrisser)
Eidefossen, Innlandet (Innrisser + Omrisser)
Ekeberg, Oslo (Stikkmann)
Ekeberg, Oslo (Innrisser + Omrisser)
Emelieborg, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Etne, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Evenhus, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Evjestien, ¯stfold (Stikkmann)
Fandens keglebane Nex¿, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Fandens kjelgelbane kirkeby, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Finntorp, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Fj¿snaneset, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Flatruet, JŠmtland (Omrisser)
Fluberget, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Flyhov, VŠstergštland (Stikkmann)
Forselv, Nordland (Omrisser) ,
Fordal, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
ForshŠlla, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Fossum, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Foss, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Foss, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
FrŠnnarp, SkŒne (Stikkmann)
Fykanvatn, Nordland (Omrisser)
FŒglum, VŠstergštland (Stikkmann)Ê
FŒngsjšn, jŠmtland (Omrisser)
FŒrš, Gotland (Stikkmann)
Gamnes, Finnmark (Innrisser)
Geithus, Buskerud (Innrisser + Omrisser)
Gerum, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Gjeving, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Gjettum, Akershus (Stikkmann)
Gjerpen, Telemark (Stikkmann)
Glemmestad, Innlandet (Innrisser + Omrisser)
Glšsa, JŠmtland (Innrisser)
Granaune, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Gravem, M¿re og Romsdal (Omrisser)
Grinneršd, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Gr¿dby, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
GŠrde, JŠmtland (Omrisser)
Gšrlšf, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
GŒshopen, Finnmark (Innrisser)
Haga, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Hafslund, ¯stfold (Stikkmann)
Hagen, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Hamarhaug, VestlandÊ (Stikkmann)
Hammer II, III, XI, Tr¿ndelag Ê(Stikkmann)
Hammer I, IV, V, VI, VIII, X, XIII, XIV, XV, Tr¿ndelag Ê(Omrisser)
Hammer IX, Tr¿ndelag Ê(Stikkmann + Omrisser)
Hammersholm, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Hananger, Agder (Stikkmann)
Harastad, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Hauge, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Haugen, Vestfold (Stikkmann)
Hegre, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Helgaberget, Vestland (Stikkmann?)
Hell, Tr¿ndelag +page, (Omrisser)
Hellest¿, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Hemsta, UpplandÊ(Stikkmann)
Hennebygda, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Herrestad, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Himmelstalund, …stergštland (Stikkmann)
Hinna, M¿re og Romsdal (Omrisser)
Hjulatorp, Kronobergs lŠn (Stikkmann)
Hodnafjell, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Hogdal, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
HoltŒs I, Tr¿ndelag (Innrisser)
HoltŒs II, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Honnhammerneset, M¿re og Romsdal (Omrisser)
Huseb¿, Agder (Stikkmann)
Hvitlycke, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
HŠljesta, VŠstmanland (Stikkmann)
HŠsthallen, SkŒne (Stikkmann)
HŠstholmen, …stergštland (Stikkmann)
HŠstskotjŠrn, JŠmtland (Omrisser)
Hšgsbyen, Dalsland (Stikkmann)
HŒby, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
HŒhaugsteinen, VestlandÊ (Stikkmann)
Isnestoften, FinnmarkÊ (InnrisserÊ+ Omrisser)
Jondal, Vestland (Stikkmann)
JŠrrestad, SkŒne +pageÊ(Stikkmann)
JŠtteberget, €lvsborg (Stikkmann)
Jšrlov, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Kalleberg, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Kalleby, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Kanozero, Russia (Innrisser)
Kattaberget, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Katthammar, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Kivik, SkŒne (Stikkmann)
Kjernevik, Rogland (Stikkmann)
Krabbestig, HusevŒg¿y, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Krokstad, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
KrŒkenes, Agder (Stikkmann)
Kvennavika, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Kvernevik, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Kviljo, Agder (Stikkmann)
Kville, VŠstergštland +page +page (Stikkmann)
Kyrkstigen, VŠstergštland (Stikkmann)
KŒrstad, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Landverk, JŠmtland (Omrisser)
Lane-Ryr, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Langeland, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Leiknes, Nordland (Omrisser)
Leirbukt, Finnmark (Innrisser)
Leirfall, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
LeirvŒg, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Lier, Buskerud (Innrisser)
Lille StrandbygŒrd, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
LitlevŒg-Meling, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Litsleby, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Ljung, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Lommeland, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Lunde, Agder (Stikkmann)
Lur, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Lycke, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Lyse, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
LŠrbro, Gotland (Stikkmann)
L¿keberget, bohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
L¿land, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
LšvŒsen, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
LŒnke, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Madsebakke, Bornholm (Stikkmann)
Mares¿, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Massleberg, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Melhus, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Melingsj¿vegen, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Mj¿nes, Nordland (Omrisser)
Mo, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Molteberghellene, ¯stfold (Stikkmann)
M¿llerstufossen, Innlandet (Innrisser)
Nag, Rogaland (Stikkmann + Omrisser)
Naverstad, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Nedre Tasta, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Nes (Josarsaklubben), Nordland (Omrisser)
Norr Edsten 15, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Norrfors, Norrland (Omrisser)
Nytj¿nna, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
NŠmforsen, VŠsternorrland (Innrisser + Omrisser)
NŠsinge, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Okkenhaug, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Onega, Russia (Innrisser)
Onsb¾k, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Oppeby, Sšdermanland (Stikkmann)
Orust, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
OtterbŠcken, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Penne, Agder (Stikkmann)
Pyntelund/Bj¿rnstaskipet, ¯stfold (Stikkmann)
Ramberg, Aksersus +page (Stikkmann)
Rauhammer, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Re, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Reitaneset, M¿re og Romsdal (Innrisser?)
Revheim, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Rickeby, Uppland (Stikkmann)
Ringeby, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Roskar, M¿re og Romsdal (Stikkmann)
Rudlo, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Rykkje, Vestland (Omrisser)
R¿kke, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
RŒhaugen, ¯stfold (Stikkmann)
R¿sand, M¿re og Romsdal (Omrisser)
Sagelva, Nordland (Omrisser)
Salsnes, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Salthammeren, Vestland (InnrisserÊ+ Omrisser)
Salthammeren upper panel, Vestland (Omrisser)Ê
Salthammeren lower panel, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Samn¿y, Vestland (Stikkmann)
SandŒker, BohuslŠnÊ(Stikkmann)
Sanne, BohuslŠnÊ(Stikkmann)
Selbustrand, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Simrislund, SkŒne (Stikkmann)
Sj¿hagen-Meling, Rogaland (Stikkmann + Omrisser)
Skavberget, Troms (Omrisser)
Skee, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Skepplanda, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Skien, Telemark (Stikkmann)
Skogerveien, Buskerud +page (Innrisser)
Skredsvik, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Slagsta, Sšdermanland +page (Stikkmann)
Slavlo, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Slettjord, Nordland (Omrisser)
Slettnes, Finnmark (Innrisser)
Sola, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Solbakk, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Solberg, ¯stfold +page (Stikkmann)
Sotorp, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Sporaneset, Telemark (Stikkmann)
St AlmegŒrd, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Stavenes, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Stein, Innlandet (Innrisser) (+Omrisser)
Storl¿kkebakke, BornholmÊ(Stikkmann)
Storsteinen, Alta, Finnmark (Innrisser)Ê(+Omrisser)
Strand, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Stuberg, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
StugŒsberget, €lvsborg (Stikkmann)
Stykket, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Sundvollen, Buskerud +page +page (Stikkmann)
Surnadal, M¿re og Romsdal (Innrisser)
Svarteborg, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Sverstad S¿ndre, Vestfold (Stikkmann)
S¿bstad, M¿re og Romsdal (Omrisser)
S¿r-Sunde, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Tanum, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Tegneby, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Tennes, Troms (Innrisser)
Tennes, Troms (Omrisser)
Tessem, Tr¿ndelagÊ(Stikkmann)
TjursŒker, Uppland (Stikkmann)
Torhamn, SkŒne (Stikkmann)
Torsbo, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Tose, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Tossene, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Tro, R¿d¿y, NordlandÊ(Stikkmann)
Tro, R¿d¿y, Nordland (Omrisser)
Ullshelleren/Valldalen, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Unneset, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Utsikten-Alvim, ¯stfold (Stikkmann)
Valla, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Valle, VŠstmannland +page +page (Omrisser)
Vallen, VŠstmanland (Stikkmann)
Verdal, Tr¿ndelag (Omrisser)
Vigdel, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Vik on Rolla, Troms (Omrisser)
Vikan, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
Vitlycke, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Vingen, Vestland (Innrisser)
Vinja, Vestland (Stikkmann)
Vistnesdalen, Nordland +page (Omrisser)
VrŒngstad, BohuslŠn (Stikkmann)
Vyg, Russia (Innrisser)
VŒgholmveien, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
Ydstines, Tr¿ndelag (Stikkmann)
¯lb¿r, Rogaland (Stikkmann)
…rsta, Uppland (Stikkmann)
bodsjšn, ngermanland (Omrisser)
by, BohuslŠn +page (Stikkmann)
m¿y, RogalandÊ(Stikkmann + Omrisser)
m¿ya, Nordland +page (Omrisser)
skollen, Buskerud (Innrisser)
Ê
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