The elk in Northern European rock art

Abstract

The hunter-gatherer rock art of Northern Europe is heavily focused on animal depictions. Of all the animal species represented in the imagery, the single most important is undoubtedly the Eurasian elk (Alces alces). This animal was depicted in rock art across the Fennoscandian Peninsula at widely different locations throughout the Stone Age. According to a “careful estimate” by Gjerde (2010:176), the hunter-gatherer rock art of northern Fennoscandia consists of more than 300 individual sites (fig 1). At least half of these sites are likely to comprise depictions of elk. Even if other animals are in some places more common, the overall number, and the geographical distribution of rock art sites with elk depictions in Northern Europe is striking (Gjerde 2018:213).