ABSTRACT
Lake Onega petroglyphs (Figure 7.1) constitute a precious part of the European prehistoric cultural heritage that reflects in a specific form the spiritual life and the way of living of the Neolithic people who inhabited the area more than 6,500 years ago. They are one of the largest concentrations of rock-art in Northern Fennoscandia and are distinguished by the metaphoric character, whimsicality, and ingenuity of the images. The history of the discovery and study of the petroglyphs on the eastern shore of Lake Onega began a long time ago and is still ongoing. This process is nourished by the unceasing interest both specialists and the general public exhibit for those unusual and mysterious archaeological monuments, as well as by the advancing search and recording techniques that help gain new information.
