Kystnære bergkunststeder på Nord-Jæren

Abstract

The majority of the open-air rock art sites in the county of Rogaland are located near the shoreline along the fjord systems surrounding the city of Stavanger. In the area the shoreline variation from the Bronze Age and up to modern day is minor, which means that the sites still are situated roughly in their original topographical context. The ocean is a dominating presence, and the distribution of rock carvings as well as the motives indicate the waterways’ significance and also to prehistoric use of the shipping lanes which are still in use today. A discussion concerning the coastline and the seascape combined with a phenomenological approach to the rock art sites and landscape might add another dimension to the traditional and well-established agricultural frameworks of interpretation when it comes to the rock art sites in Rogaland. Through personal experience combined with archaeological knowledge the relations between open air rock art sites, surrounding landscapes and the coastline concerning past social and ritual gatherings, wayfinding and sea voyages is discussed.