Torsbo Rock Carvings

Tanum, Sweden

There are over 100 rock carvings depicting rich and wide variation of themes in Torsbo, including the longest boat carving in Sweden (4,5m). There are also figures of a tree, and several warriors carrying swords. Many of the warriors are depicted as having enlarged calves, a feature that is typical for this area. It cannot be rulled out that several of the carvings were made by the same person. The carvings as a whole have, however, been made over a period of some 1000 years. Many of the ships date from the early Bronze age, around 1800-1500 B.C. while most of the warriors are thought to date from the end of the Bronze Age, around 700-500 B.C. There are often features of both motifs on the same rock face, indicating that the place was used and was a holy place for many generations.

References:

vastsverige.com

Address

Torsbo 1, Tanum, Sweden

See all sites in Tanum

Details

Founded: 1800-1500 BC
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Sweden
Historical period: Neolithic Age (Sweden)

More Information

www.vastsverige.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Bottna Church (5,2 km)

Rock Carvings in Tanum (17,3 km)
Fiskebäckskil Church (34,2 km)
Naverstad Church (27,8 km)
Dragsmark Abbey Ruins (35 km)
Morlanda Church (40,4 km)
Bärfendal Church (10,1 km)
Greby Grave Field (17,8 km)
Svarteborg Church (13,4 km)
Bokenäs Old Church (31,4 km)

User Reviews

Bithy Soptorshi (4 months ago)
Best place for people who are into history and archaeology. Fascinating and lovely!

Barbora Viktorinová (4 months ago)
It’s so good that you can go to the rock carvings anytime in the week and you can get there with no entrance fee. Thanks to that we could see the carvings in the late evening and it was really magical.

David Leonard (4 months ago)
I went in not expecting much, but this place was awesome. They have done a great job of making the carvings visible and explaining they are so significant. Each sign post I see highlighted a unique aspect of the carvings. We happened to catch a guide giving a wonderful lecture (in English) at one of the biggest catching sights. Well maintained (steep) trail led to some good views at the burial site.

Krzysztof Kamil Kruczyński (4 months ago)
It's absolutely mind blowing place with fantastic history!

Michael Fischer (7 months ago)
Beautiful place with a short little walk from sight to sight. Absolutely worth a stop. We didn’t visit the museum, just the sight. There is also a free parking if you visit one of them.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Wikimedia Commons

Historic Site of the week

Château du Lude

The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.