Wednesday, September 13, 2023

NORWAY ~ The Rock Art of Alta - UNESCO ~

.... Lovely view of Rock Art and carvings that shows that Alta was an important meeting place in the far north... people have lived in the area for several thousands of years... Hjemmeluftbukta (Northern Sámi: Jiepmaluokta) is the main site for the rock carvings with about 3,000 individual carvings... scenes depict hunting, gathering and fishing as well as dancing and rituals... many of the older carvings were painted red in the 1970s to make them more visible which was normal practice at the time... however, this process is now being reversed to preserve the authenticity of the art, even though some of the carvings will be harder to see on cloudy  days... the outdoor carvings are accessible during the snow-free season (typically May to October) but the indoor exhibitions are open year-round... a unique and well preserved site with also fantastic views over the Alta Fjord... Thanks a lot Andrene! (✿◠‿◠) 


The property is situated in the northernmost part of Norway, far north of the Arctic Circle.

Located at 45 sites in five different areas at the head of the Alta Fjord (Kåfjord, Hjemmeluft, Storsteinen, Amtmannsnes and Transfarelvdalen). Today in total, there are more than 6000 registered carvings and paintings spread out over some 100 panels made between ca 7,000 to 2,000 years ago.

Despite the age of the engravings, we've actually only known about them for little more than 50 years. Rock art was first discovered in the area in 1950, but most of it wasn't found for another 20 years.

The rock art in Alta was inscribed on the World Heritage List in December 1985.


Photo: © Arvid Sveen


Stamp:

Domesticated Animals 
(Issued 11-06-2021)

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