For a long time the dating and the cultural background of rock carvings in the Southern Scandinavia remained unclear. As late as the mid-19th century it was suggested, because of the numerous boat images, that the carvings depicted Viking adventures. This would mean a dating to 800 AD or later. But it was finally established that they belonged to the Nordic Bronze Age (1 800 - 500 BC) culture in 1860s when engraved swords typical of the Early Bronze Age (1800 - 1500 BC) were identified on one panel at Ekenberg close to Norrköping.

However, the earliest engravings of the southern tradition in Scandinavia are somewhat older than the Bronze Age. That category is represented in at least two areas/sites. The oldest is probably the Släbro site in Södermanland, Sweden, situated at an old estuary now some kilometres inland due to land upheaval. Släbro has strange geometric and stylised anthropomorphic designs that can be dated to the Late Stone Age and/or to the Calcolithic period, sometime between 2300 - 1800 BC. Parallels can be fined in the earlier stages of the rock engravings of Valcamonica, Italy and in Galicia in Spain and neighbouring areas in Portugal.

In the Simris area in the coastal zone of southeast Skåne, Sweden, is a different, but likewise early - from the Late Neolithic around 2100 BC, complex of engravings of weapons. The dominating images are depictions of large, shafted, ceremonial bronze axes with wide, convex edges. The Simris carvings are executed in hard, extremely dense sandstone that has resisted degradation through time.

From the Early Bronze Age, approximately 1.800 BC, and onwards boat images dominate the rock carvings in southern Sweden and Norway. Humans and animals, chariots and wagons, weapons and ornaments, circle-crosses, footprints and cup marks, accompany the boats. The rock engravings have most probably resulted from a cult oriented towards fertility. Common traits may have been worshipping of the sun and rainmaking witnessed by the numerous symbolic depictions of the sun in the form of circles, spirals and discs and cup-marks. Many researchers have also discussed the element of cult of the death. It is most probably evidenced by the numerous boat images and from scenes on certain panels, and especially from the decorated slabs found in the mega-sized Kivik burial cairn at Simris in Skåne, Sweden. It has been suggested that they describe the actual burial and funeral rites of the tomb. The cairn is dated to around 1200 BC.

Järrestad in Skåne, Sweden Photo: Catarina Bertilsson

That the elements of shamanism persisted in the religion is witnessed from the representation of anthropomorphist wearing bird masks, sometimes also wings, and the so called "dancers" i.e. at c, Kallsängen in Bottna in Bohuslän. At the Järrestad panel there is also numerous depiction of the human foot, always in bare condition. These footprints are considered to be early and are possibly part of the megalith tradition in the Late Neolithic/Calcolithic period, 2300 - 1800 BC. Footprints occur also in many other sites and areas also in the North like Leiknes, Norway and Gärde but also Nämforsen, Sweden. These footprints are always contoured and interpreted as dressed with shoes/sandals.

Northern Bohuslän, Sweden, where Tanum is at the centre, constitutes the by far richest area. Its connection with the bordering areas in Östfold, Norway is much obvious. This area is in fact one of the richest of its kind in Europe and elsewhere. In Northern Bohuslän only (,) the number of registered engraving exceeds 4000 and holds more than 60.000 figures. Those engravings are extremely rich in variety of images and scenes, depicting not only single valuable objects, but also central themes and scenes in the Nordic mythology. They are executed in a skilful, highly artistic manner. The height of the tradition seems to have been reached during the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age from 1000 to 500 BC when the Hallstatt culture dominated Europe. In Bohuslän, easily identifiable and datable objects such as weapons and ornaments represent this period.

The numerous detailed representations of huge warriors, carrying swords, spears and axes and helmets with twin horns reflects the focus on warriors and fighting. Although the fights might have been rituals, analysis of wear of actual bronze weapons from contemporary burials, indicate that the weapons were used in actual fighting. In that way the engravings might reflect much of the same worship and cult of fighting and war that is described in the literate Nordic Saga tradition from the Viking era, 800-1060 AD, almost 1.500 years later. Many of these warriors have been put in opposing position. The closest parallels to these motifs are found in Valcamonica in Lombardy, Italy.

Read about rock paintings in the Baltic Sea Region