Birds in Karelian and Finland Rock Art: Image and Technological Features

The bird, as an object of ancient art, is found in petroglyphs and rock paintings of the Russian North and Finland. The article examines drawings in the forest zone. However, the geographical proximity and commonality of the subject does not provide a similar technology for creating drawings. The authors studied the bird image and its role in the rock art of the region, analyzed materials for creating paint, tools and materials for creating petroglyphs. There are results of experiments on making drawings with various hard materials. The experimental-traceological method has established that when knocking out on granite tools from quartz, silicon and granite crumble. The tracks made with hardened steel tools resemble those of petroglyphs. The embossed images were “corrected” or “supplemented” during their existence, or were embossed somewhat later than it is commonly believed. Finnish rock art shows no signs of new painting. There are some technological aspects in the article. Undoubtedly, for a complete understanding of the phenomenon of rock art, the features and techniques of creating images, it is necessary to continue field, experimental and laboratory research in the future.

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