Dad hiking with family notices unusual rock — and finds ancient painting in Norway

Aspen Pflughoeft
Tue, June 20, 2023 

While out hiking with family, a dad noticed a rock with unusual coloring — and discovered several ancient paintings. Photos show the first-of-its kind find.

Tormod Fjeld was hiking with family in the Moss area when they stopped for a rest break near a boulder, Viken County Municipality said in a June 19 news release.

Looking at the rock, Fjeld noticed it had some unnatural coloring and patterns. He took a closer look and identified several painted scenes along the slab, officials said.

Fjeld is a graphic designer, but he — along with two friends — has spent years searching for petroglyphs around Norway, Science in Norway reported in November. The trio has identified almost 600 petroglyphs since 2016.

Archaeologists looked at the paintings Fjeld discovered and confirmed they were authentic ancient drawings, the release said.

The rock where several ancient paintings were found.

A photo with highlighted coloring shows several paintings (in red) on the rock.

Jan Magne Gjerde, an archaeologist with the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, estimated the paintings dated to the Bronze Age, the organization said in a news release.

The ancient scenes are easy to miss. Highlighted photos show the drawings in a red hue. One scene shows two distinctly human figures standing together, possibly a hunting scene, cultural researchers said.

A photo with highlighted coloring shows two human figures, possibly a hunting scene.

A photo with highlighted coloring shows the rowboat painting.

Another enhanced photo shows a boat being rowed, officials said. Other scenes depicted animals.

The ancient paintings are the first of their kind found in the Moss area, the release said. Moss is a coastal region about 40 miles south of Oslo.

Officials urged people not to touch the rock due to its rarity and fragility, fearing that the paintings could be erased.

Google Translate was used to translate the news releases from Viken County Municipality and the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research.