Swedish Rock Art Research Archives

Abstract

Scandinavian Bronze Age rock art (1700- 500 BC) is world famous, and has stimulated research for almost 200 years. The rock art shows information about Bronze Age ideology, religion, society, long distance connections, means of transportation, warfare, and hunting by depictions of boats, wagons, weapons, humans, animals and various ritual features. Current research on these images is highly relevant to concerns about society today, providing some of the best evidence for the emergence of social complexity, organized conflict, rituals, and social inequality. The reports in the series Documentation and Registration of Rock Art in Tanum, produced by Tanums Hällristnings Museum Underslös (THU) have been central sources for rock art research. The last 20 years have seen an explosive increase in the number of articles dealing with Scandinavian rock art. A large number of national and international doctoral dissertations and monographs on Bronze Age rock art have also been published.
The Swedish Rock Art Research Archives (SHFA) played a crucial role in increasing the momentum of this new wave of academic work and public interest in the rock art. Before the SHFA was founded in 2007, research was long hampered by a lack of access to original documentation.