The three worlds at Alta
From about 4000 BC the smooth cliffs around the Alta Fjord in Northern Norway were the setting of petroglyphs carved by hunter-gatherers living in this area. The petroglyphs (6000 in total) have a great variety in subject and are of special interest because the numerous native animals that are depicted. There are hardly any ethno historical sources about these prehistoric carvings and this makes it hard to discover their background and true meaning. Many scholars have argued that the Alta petroglyphs could be the first signs of a Nordic religion in the area. Around 500 BC the last carvings were made at Alta.