Birkhead, T.R. orcid.org/0000-0003-2916-4976 and Montgomerie, R. orcid.org/0000-0003-4701-4525 (2025) A Neolithic rock engraving apparently showing a Great Auk being captured. Ibis. ISSN: 0019-1019
Abstract
We evaluate whether a Neolithic engraved rock image at the Alta archaeological site in Finnmark, Norway – of a bird being held by a person – represents a Great Auk Pinguinus impennis. There are several thousand engraved animal figures at Alta, created between 5000 and 2000 years ago, in various hunting panoramas. Of these images, 24 represent aquatic birds, including four others that might also be Great Auks. Based on the size of the bird relative to the person holding it, the size and shape of the beak, wings and webbed feet, and comparisons with some other bird images at Alta, we conclude that it is likely that this one does represent a Great Auk.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Keywords: | Alta World Heritage Site; Great Auk; Pinguinis impennis; rock art |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Biosciences (Sheffield) > Department of Animal and Plant Sciences (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 24 Sep 2025 08:28 |
Last Modified: | 24 Sep 2025 08:28 |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/ibi.13452 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:232067 |