The carvings were made over a period of about 5000 years from around 5200 BC. The wide variety of imagery shows a culture of hunter-gathers that herded reindeer, built fences, built boats and fished (although Haddock seem to be the only fish represented.) Due to the effects of post-glacial rebound the whole of Scandanavia started to rise at a considerable rate out of the ocean after the end of the last ice age. In fact it might have been so fast as to be noticeable during the lifetime of individual humans during the time Alta's rock drawings were created. There are overwhelming indications that the carvings were originally located directly on the shoreline and were gradually lifted to their present-day positions several dozen metres inland.
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Parted company with the yellow campers and we went further north as they turned east through Finland towards Russia. We camped outside Tromso surrounded by campers who all had dogs - an International Dog Show was on in town and they had come from as far as Germany. The next day, passed through Tromso (cold and wet) but only took a drive around town. Probably did not see it as its best or it’s attractions. Camped at a site we had found before leaving home and were pleased the commentary on it was true when we arrived. At the camp, met a cyclist from the US who started out in Alta the previous day. The number of touring cyclists (bicycles loaded with panniers) has been quite an eye-opener. Many are also not young. This guy was commencing the journey we had just completed through Norway - except on a bicycle that fully loaded weighed 80 KG. We had made it to 70 degrees North and the next day on the road to Alta would be our most northerly latitude of 70 08.306 N 22 59.178E. If we were in the southern hemisphere we would be on the Antarctic continent! |
