Petroglyphs of Lake Onega and the White Sea
The site contains 4,500 rock carvings from the Neolithic period (6-7 thousand years ago) and is located in the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation. It is one of the largest rock art sites in Europe and documents the Neolithic culture of Fennoscandia. The property group includes 33 sites in two parts 300 km apart: 22 rock art sites on Lake Onega in the Podolsky District with more than 1,200 figures and 11 rock art sites on the White Sea in the White Sea District with 3,411 figures. The rock art figures on Lake Onega are mostly birds, animals, half-human and half-animal figures, and geometric shapes that may be symbols of the moon and the sun. The rock art on the White Sea mostly consists of carvings depicting hunting and sailing scenes, including related equipment and animal and human footprints. They show important artistic qualities and testify to the creativity of the Stone Age. The rock paintings are associated with sites such as settlements and cemeteries.