Rock Art, Secret Societies, Long-Distance Exchange, and Warfare in Bronze Age Scandinavia

Abstract

This chapter explores the relationship between rock art, secret societies, long distance exchange, and warfare during the Scandinavian Bronze Age. Scandinavian Bronze Age rock art often depicts warriors brandishing metal weapons standing in or near war canoes. The appearance of this motif is concomitant with the participation of the local communities in long distance exchange for the procurement of metals. In this chapter, we argue that long-distance trading expeditions were made possible by the agency of Scandinavian secret societies, whose members would have also engaged in rock art carving practices. This inference is supported by archaeological considerations as well as comparisons with ethnographically documented secret societies from around the world.