Original version
North Meets South - Theoretical aspects on the northern and southern rock art traditions in Scandinavia. 2017, 59-86
Abstract
In this chapter, we argue that the strong maritime focus in South Scandinavian Bronze Age rock art could be seen as the result of a fusion of two diff erent maritime legacies. The fi rst legacy relates to the North Scandinavian hunter-gatherer tradition of making rock art at maritime locations in the landscape, in connection with seasonal gatherings, and with an emphasis on transformative animistic features and boats. The second major maritime 60 NORTH MEETS SOUTH impact relates to Bell Beaker infl uence in southern Scandinavia, prior to the Nordic Bronze Age, and is associated with regular overseas sailing, intensifi ed interaction across the North Sea, and trade in raw materials and exotica. By incorporating two diff erent maritime legacies both on a practical and a symbolic level, the societies in southern Scandinavia created new maritime institutions which enabled them to enter and participate actively in the maritime exchange networks of the Nordic Bronze Age. We regard the institutionalisation of this particular kind of maritime-ness as a crucial feature, a doxa for the reproduction of the Nordic Bronze Age societies.