Finnish rock art

pictographs A pictogram, also called a pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto, and in computer usage an icon, is a graphic symbol that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and g ...

created during the Stone Age have been found at 127 sites around

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. They consist mainly of brownish-red figures and markings painted onto steep

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...

walls, often overlooking waterways. There are scenes featuring people, boats, elk, fish and mysterious part human figures. The survival of the art in adverse climatic conditions is due to their protection by a naturally forming thin layer of silicon dioxide on the rock surface. Värikallio tietäjä

The

Comb Ceramic Culture The Comb Ceramic culture or Pit-Comb Ware culture, often abbreviated as CCC or PCW, was a northeast European culture characterised by its Pit–Comb Ware. It existed from around 4200 BCE to around 2000 BCE. The bearers of the Comb Ceramic cultu ...

who lived in what is now Finland between 5000 BC and 2000 BC is credited with their production. The paints used included a mix of iron oxide, blood, and animal fat or egg, although traces of the organic materials are no longer detectable. Characteristic to the art are sacrificial parts (arrow points, bones, signs of fire, etc.) and the location on steep cliffs at water’s edge. Similar sites can be found in parts of Northern Sweden, Norway and Russia – mainly, it seems, in areas once populated by the Saami or other

Finnic peoples The Finnic or Fennic peoples, sometimes simply called Finns, are the nations who speak languages traditionally classified in the Finnic (now commonly '' Finno-Permic'') language family, and which are thought to have originated in the region of ...

. The first paintings to be recognised as Stone Age were reported in 1911 by

Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

, whose eye was caught by strange patterns on a lakeside cliff near

Hvitträsk Hvitträsk is a mansion complex in Kirkkonummi, Finland, about west of Helsinki. It was designed as a studio home for the members of the Finnish architecture firm Gesellius, Lindgren, Saarinen, later becoming the private residence of Eliel Saar ...

, the home of his friend, architect

Eliel Saarinen Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1873 – July 1, 1950) was a Finnish-American architect known for his work with art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century. He was also the father of famed architect Eero Saarinen. Lif ...

. More paintings were discovered in the 1960s a few miles west of

at Juusjärvi. At first they were thought to be recent graffiti daubed by power line workers, but they were soon ascertained to be several thousand years old. Most of the paintings lie in the

Saimaa Saimaa ( , ; sv, Saimen) is a lake located in the Finnish Lakeland area in southeastern Finland. At approximately , it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest natural freshwater lake in Europe. The name Saimaa likely comes from a ...

and Päijänne lake districts. By far the best-known site, at

Astuvansalmi The Astuvansalmi rock paintings ( fi, Astuvansalmen kalliomaalaukset) are located in Ristiina, Mikkeli, Southern Savonia, Finland at the shores of the lake Yövesi, which is a part of the large lake Saimaa. The paintings are 7.7 to 11.8 metres ab ...

, has been proposed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. Another site is Värikallio in the Hossa Hiking Area. This has unusual figures with triangular heads. The biggest painted area is in

Central Finland Central Finland ( fi, Keski-Suomi; sv, Mellersta Finland) is a region ( / ) in Finland. It borders the regions of Päijät-Häme, Pirkanmaa, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia, North Savo, and South Savo. The city o ...

, where the

Saraakallio rock paintings Saraakallio rock paintings ( fi, Saraakallion kalliomaalaukset) are situated in Central Finland. The rock site lies on the eastern shore of Lake Saraavesi, opposite the village center of Laukaa. The rocky cliff of Saraakallio is an impressive land ...

includes 50–200 pictures, maybe even more.

Gallery

File:Astuvansalmi hirvia.jpg, Astuvansalmi rock paintings (moose, human figures and a boat) File:Laukaa - rock painting2.jpg,

(moose)

References

External links

Finnish Rock Art Association

Scandinavian Society for Prehistoric Art

Published by Association of Finnish Prehistoric Art. {{in lang, fi
Rock Art Paintings in Finland
Bradshaw Foundation Online Rock Art Archive. Archaeology of Finland Stone Age Europe Prehistoric art Rock art in Europe

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

Gallery

See also

References

External links