Hidden between the houses of an unassuming residential neighborhood in Drammen, Norway, lies a masterclass in archaeological presentation. At first glance, the rock art site of Skogerveien appears to be a modern steel garden pavilion. Inside, however, is a 6,000-year-old rock art panel for which conservators have traded traditional red paint in favor of a digital reveal. By using programmed lighting to illuminate the carvings, this site offers a novel solution to one of the oldest problems in rock art tourism: how to show barely visible rock carvings using non-invasive techniques.
- Ricky Menzies
- Last Checked and/or Updated 16 April 2026
- Norway
What makes the Drammen panel particularly interesting is its collection of both land and sea animals. Among the 46 distinct figures are moose, birds, and a 2.3-meter-long whale. Many are depicted in a stylised ‘X-ray’ manner, with internal geometric lines that may represent skeletal structures or the way the animals were filleted after a successful hunt.
The context of the site has shifted dramatically over the millennia. Originally carved at the water’s edge when sea levels were higher, the panel now sits 60 meters above sea level in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood. Located near another rock art site at Åskollen, the Skogerveien panel is unique for its ingenious technique of presentation, one that balances conservation, public access and technology.
Visiting Skogervereien
Location
The rock art site is in the town of Drammen, which is about a 45-minute drive from Oslo.
Access
A short, uphill walk from the Drammen train station. The site is located in a public residential area and is free to visit year-round.
Tip
Visit at dusk or on a cloudy day to see the LED and oblique lights at their most dramatic intensity.
Painting Prehistoric Engravings
Anyone who has visited a major rock art site in Scandinavia will have seen the red iron-oxide paint traditionally used to make carvings visible. This technique gained traction between 1918 and 1939, and was justified as a means to prevent tourists from colouring the carvings themselves, potentially causing damage.
For some time now, this method has faced mounting criticism. Many panels have been repainted multiple times without removing previous layers, potentially damaging the delicate stone surface. Paint can also mislead viewers by obscuring original tool marks and fine textures while implying figures had originally been painted to begin with. While museums like the one at Alta have begun removing modern paint to leave the stone bare and authentic, this creates a new ‘visibility problem’ for the average visitor (more about this issue on the Alta Museum website).
The Skogerveien Solution
The conservators at Skogerveien developed a different approach. Here a simple technique used by rock art researchers for decades to make carved images more visible has been ‘fixed’ in place for the benefit of visitors. To protect the site, a metal shelter was constructed, paired with a stone perimeter to prevent foot traffic from eroding the rock surface. While the shelter provides constant shade, making the figures slightly easier to discern, the real innovation lies in the lighting used.
Installed on the shelter’s frame is a system of oblique lights and gobos. These are not simple spotlights; they are precision-engineered to cast light at a sharp angle across the rock’s surface, creating high contrast by casting deep shadows into the ancient grooves. The gobo lighting is then used to project light specifically into those lines, creating a ‘paint effect’ that makes the figures appear bright and sharp. Gobo lighting uses a stencilled template (a ‘go-between optics’ or gobo) placed inside or in front of a light source to project patterns, textures, or logos onto surfaces.
To make the art even more striking, contrasting LEDs are used to shift the background colour, further lifting the prehistoric silhouettes from the stone.
An Ancient Experience for a Modern Audience
A Future for Presenting Rock Art?
Could this be an intervention for protecting similar rock art sites elsewhere, enhancing their accessibility? The Skogerveien model does have its challenges, primarily location. Being nestled in a residential area provides easy access to the power grid and simplified construction logistics. While it would be a perfect addition to museum-managed sites like in Alta, rolling out such high-tech installations in more remote, rural and wilderness areas would be more difficult and costly.What Skogerveien proves is that the presentation of rock art doesn’t have to be a choice between invisibility and intervention.
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Add Skogerveien to Your Itineraries & Travel Lists
If you are planning a trip to Norway, you can create your own travel lists (such as places you have been to, places you would like to visit) and an itinerary for your London visit. These can also be shared with your friends and on social media. You can see how this is done by watching our Using the Itinerary video on YouTube, or reading the Using the Itinerary page.
Skogerveien Rock Art
On the side of Skogerveien Road in a suburb of Drammen is a large rock that has a metal protective covering and a stone wall. These measures are intended to preserve the prehistoric engravings on the rock surface. Thought to be around 6,000 years old, the stylised images depict a whale, fish, an unidentifiable bird and moose. What is interesting about this site is the use of lighting techniques to make these barely visible engravings clear for visitors.
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Archaeology Travel Writer
