Alta Museum: "World Heritage Rock Art Center"
The great attraction of Alta, however, is represented by the Alta Museum, where you can admire the largest finds of pre-historic engravings in Northern Europe
In fact, in the town of Hjemmeluft there is a settlement dating back to the period between 4200 and 500 BC. which, in 1985, received UNESCO World Heritage status.
The site, moreover, still hosts half a thousand rock engravings divided into 14 areas; in which the oldest date back to a period between 2000 and 6000 years ago.
These paintings represent an "authentic leap into prehistory" which, in this part of Norway was largely based on the hunting of land animals that were killed with flint or bone tools. really less relevant.
The actual engravings are found on the hill that descends from the museum towards the fjord, and can be visited along a wooden walkway just over three kilometers long.
As the sea level lowered following the last glaciation, in fact, the engravings had to be made at lower and lower heights. And according to many researchers, the local populations would have devoted so much time to these ruestri paintings because they also attributed a great spiritual significance.
The tour inside the Alta Museum takes just under an hour to be visited. And it allows, thanks to a dozen pitches, to have a very close view of the rock engravings from which you can see numerous hunting scenes, symbols of fertility, moose, bears, reindeer and sunken ships.
All the engravings are united by the fact that they have been restored by researchers with a red pigment that recalls the original rock painting.
In the main building of the Museum, the visitor will find many information on the sculptures and prehistory in Finnmark. But not only. Here you can also visit some pavilions reserved for the "history of Alta" in which there are some sections dedicated to the local industry of salmon fishing and copper mines.
Alta Museum - World Heritage Rock Art Center
Address: Altaveien 19 N-9512, Troms og Finnmark
Phone: +47 417 56 330
Site:
https://www.altamuseum.no/en/Location inserted by
Marco Cadelli