Norwegian amateur archaeologists discover over 1,000 unknown Bronze Age rock carvings

A trio of Norwegian history enthusiasts has uncovered more than 1,000 previously unknown rock carving sites in Østfold, doubling the region’s known total and offering new insights into Bronze Age Scandinavia, reports Dagbladet.

Archaeologist Magnus Tangen (42), digital marketer Tormod Fjeld (43), and landscape architect Lars Ole Klavestad (53) have spent years systematically scanning Østfold’s fields and rock faces using simple tools: brushes, gloves, and a stick mounted with a bicycle light. Their technique—brushing away loose moss and angling light horizontally across the stone—reveals shadows that expose carvings invisible under overhead sunlight.

“When light comes from above, you don’t see the structure at all—it almost cancels everything out,” Tangen explained. “But as soon as you lay it horizontally, every depression casts a shadow. We look for those shadows.”

The team’s discoveries have more than doubled Østfold’s recorded rock carving sites since they began collaborating in 2016. Where roughly 450 sites were previously documented, their work has pushed the total beyond 1,450. Many carvings depict humans, animals, and geometric symbols linked to Bronze Age rituals (circa 3,000 years ago), though the trio stresses they avoid digging—even with landowner permission—to preserve the sites.

“Theoretically, rock carvings could be anywhere,” Fjeld noted. “We try not to limit ourselves with rigid assumptions about where they should be.” Klavestad added that the thrill lies in uncovering art “no one has seen for thousands of years” during casual weekend expeditions.

Their finds have already contributed to research on Norway’s prehistoric communities, with Østfold now recognized as a particularly dense region for rock carvings. The group continues to explore cultural landscapes, often stumbling upon unexpected discoveries in seemingly ordinary terrain.