Bronze Age Rock Art in Northern Europe: Contexts and Interpretations

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the traditions of Bronze Age rock art in northern Europe, which is mostly concentrated in Scandinavia. It introduces the two different – but related – customs and memory practices that can be associated with Bronze Age rock art format in southern Scandinavia. The article then looks at the informed and formal methods, which can help understand the different rock art traditions, their meaning, and their significance. Informed methods use anthropological and historical sources, while formal methods use information that can be gathered through ‘simple dirt archaeology’. The next two sections study the forms of rock art found in landscapes and seascapes. The article also discusses the use of rock art in funeral practices, several theories about rock art, and the social format of rock art.

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