View
216
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
7/27/2019 Secrets in stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway.pdf
1/4
See Also:
Fossils & Ruins
Ancient CivilizationsArchaeologyLost TreasuresCulturesEarly Climate
Anthropology
Reference
ExcavationArtifact(archaeology)PetroglyphStone Age
ScienceDaily (Jan. 31, 2011) It looked to be a
routine excavation of what was thought to be a
burial mound. But beneath the mound,
archaeologists from the Norwegian University of
Science and Technology's Museum of Natural
History and Archaeology found something more:unusual Bronze Age petroglyphs. "We believe
these are very special in a Norwegian context,"
says museum researcher and project manager
Anne Haug.
The excavation in Stjrdal, just northof Trondheim, was necessitated bythe expansion of a gravel pit. Giventhat project archaeologists didn'tanticipate that the dig would be verycomplicated, the museum
researchers dedicated just threeweeks to the effort.
Petroglyphs under a cremation
site
Then came the surprises. First, itturned out that mound builders hadused an existing hill as a startingpoint -- which of course saved themtime and effort. The hill itself madethe burial mound even larger and
These unusual petroglyphs were found in a burial
mound in Stjrdal, central Norway. (Credit: Anne
Haug, NTNU Museum of Natural History and
Archaeology)
Related Stories
Archaeologists Reconstruct Life In
The Bronze Age At Site Of Southern
Spain (June 9, 2007) Researchershave excavated for the first time in a
scientific and systematic way a site of where theyhave found the first water well of the IberianPeninsula. From the 20th century, the "motillas" ...> read more
Secrets in Stone: Rare Archaeological Find in Norway
Breaking News
Just In:
Skin Cells Converted Into Beating Heart Cells
Science Video News
A Look Inside A MummyMedical physicists used computedtomography to compose a picture ofthe body within an ancient mummy.The scan provided more detail in bothbone and. ... > full story
Pediatricians Reduce Ear Infections ByVaccinating Children
Competitive Eaters May Have Ability to SuppressSatiety Hormones
Psychobiologists Find Genetic Component in
Children's Food Preference
more science videos
... from NewsDaily.com
Shuttle Discovery returns to launch pad
Study finds way to predict when cancer willspread
Tracks of two prehistoric birds found in Alaska
Risk of new Chile quake seen after 2010 disaster
South Carolina scientist works to grow meat in lab
more science news
Science News Share Blog Cite Print Bookmark Email
enlarge
Health & Medicine Mind & Brain Plants & Animals Earth & Climate Space & Time Matter & Energy Computers & Math Fossils & Ruins
News Articles Videos Images Books
Secrets in stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131073133.htm
1 of 4 2/1/11 6:04 PM
7/27/2019 Secrets in stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway.pdf
2/4
more monumental than it might haveotherwise been.
But researchers suspected there might be another reason forthe choice of the hilltop when they uncovered the remains oftwo cremations, or rather a fire layer that also contained bits ofbone. Underneath they found many petroglyphs, including eightdrawings showing the soles of feet, with cross hatching. Therewere also five shallow depressions, Haug says.
Two boat drawings and several other drawings of feet soleswith toes were also found just south of the burial mound.
LInk between burial mound and drawings unclear
"This is a very special discovery, and we are not aware of othersimilar findings from Trndelag County," she says. "The tombmight have been deliberately constructed over the petroglyphs,probably as part of funeral ritual. Based on the type ofcharacters and especially the drawings of the foot soles, wehave dated the artwork to the Bronze Age, about 1800 -- 500BC."
"Why there are foot sole drawings beneath the tomb is apuzzle. But if we interpret the find in terms of a fertility cult, itmay be that the soles represent God and life-giving power.That means that you can have both life and death representedin one place," she says.
Unique in a Norwegian context
Haug says that there was a similar discovery in stlandetCounty, an area called Jong in Brum, where petroglyphsillustrating foot soles were found under a tomb that dates backto the Bronze Age. In a Nordic context, this phenomenon ismore common, and there are several examples where burialswere combined with rock art, particularly petroglyphs of footsoles from Bohusln, a World Heritage site in Sweden.
It's not yet clear if the grave was put in place the same time as
the petroglyphs, Haug says. The dig began in September, 2010and extended through the end of October, but the analysis isongoing.
The scientists have found about 900 grams of burned bone,probably from one or more individuals; they hope to be able tocarry out C-14 dating of the material and conduct moreanalyses so they can determine more about the gender and the
Archaeologists Uncover Ancient
Governor's Palace In Turkey(Oct.21, 2008) Archaeologists haveunearthed parts of a Neo-Assyrian
governor's palace dating back to the 9th to 7thcentury BCE in an excavation program amongst theruins on Ziyaret Tepe. The discoveries were ...> read more
New Evidence: Urbanization Did Not Originate
With Centralized Political Power(Aug. 31, 2007) A field survey of the ancient city of Tell Brakindicates that urbanization did not originate with acentralized political power, but as the result ofindividualized or small-group decisions. To ...> read more
Stone Age Site Surfaces After 8000
Years (Aug. 14, 2007) Excavationsof an underwater Stone Agearchaeological settlement dating back
8000 years took place at the NationalOceanography Centre, Southampton. The team ofarchaeologists will take the sections ... > read more
Leicestershire Burial Mounds
Reveal Ancestral Insights (June16, 2008) Researchers haverecently completed work on the
results of three closely related Bronze Age roundbarrows excavated at Cossington, Leicestershire.Their excavations revealed a variety of burial ...> read more
Free Subscriptions
Feedback
Your Name:
Your Email:
Comments:
Click button to submit feedback:
In Other News ...
Retailers to report chilly end to holidays
A million Egyptians clamor for Mubarak to go
GM, Chrysler lead as auto sales rise
Big winter storm slams Midwest
UPS profit tops estimates
Joblessness, rising prices could spark war within
Ireland to vote on February 25
Huge winter storm threatens U.S. wheat andcattle
more top news
Copyright Reuters 2008. See Restrictions.
... from ScienceDaily
Get the latest science news with our free email
newsletters, updated daily and weekly. Or viewhourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader:
Email Newsletters
RSS Newsfeeds
... we want to hear from you!
Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- wewelcome both positive and negative comments.Have any problems using the site? Questions?
Secrets in stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131073133.htm
2 of 4 2/1/11 6:04 PM
7/27/2019 Secrets in stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway.pdf
3/4
Email or share this story: | More
APA
MLA
age of the individuals in the grave.
"Currently, we have found several human teeth, as well as whatmay be remains of human ribs. We also found an animal tooththat suggests that one or more animals may have been laid inthe tomb along with whoever is buried there," she says. Therewere very few objects found in the tomb, but a flat corrodedmetal object was found in the burnt layer. It's hard to say whatthis was, but the object will be X-rayed for analysis.
Remains of a larger burial ground?
It is unclear whether the original burial site contained two gravemounds, or whether there was just one large burial area.
A burial ground in the area was first described in 1818 byLorentz D. Klwer, and archaeologist Karl Rygh also describedthe site in 1879. It is likely that the graves that have beenexcavated in the most recent dig are the last remains of thisburial ground.
The rock art found at the site is a type called SouthScandinadivan agriculture carving and is dated to the Bronze
Age, from 1800 -- 500 BC. The tomb probably dates to thetransition between the Bronze Age and Iron Age, from 500 BCup to the year 1.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations byScienceDailystaff) from materials provided by TheNorwegian University of Science and Technology
(NTNU).
Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Useone of the following formats:
The Norwegian University of Science andTechnology (NTNU) (2011, January 31). Secretsin stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway.ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 1, 2011, fromhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131073133.htm
Send It
Secrets in stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131073133.htm
3 of 4 2/1/11 6:04 PM
7/27/2019 Secrets in stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway.pdf
4/4
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily
reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Find with keyword(s): Search
Number of stories in archives: 97,444
Enter a keyword or phrase to search ScienceDaily's archives for related news topics,the latest news stories, reference articles, science videos, images, and books.
About ScienceDaily
| Editorial Staff | Awards & Reviews | Contribute News | Advertise With Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Copyright 1995-2010 ScienceDaily LLC All rights reserved Contact: editor@sciencedaily.com
Note: This web site is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Part of the iVillage Your Total Health Network
Secrets in stone: Rare archaeological find in Norway http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131073133.htm
4 of 4 2/1/11 6:04 PM
Recommended