Komsa

The site has painted figures which were found after the Rock Art of Alta was inscribed into the World Heritage List. Thus it is not a part of the World Heritage, but is managed in the same way as the other sites in Alta.

Photo: Heidi Johansen

The distinctive Komsa mountain is situated at the head of the Altafjord, close to the city centre of Alta. In 1925 the geologist and archaeologist Anders Nummedal found the remains of Stone Age settlements here. The finds became known as the “Komsa culture”, but that term is no longer used today. When the cultural remains in the area were being registered in 2000, a site with rock paintings was found. The site is 36-38 metres above sea level and consists of seven figures. The paintings are barely visible and it is difficult to see what they represent. There are amongst other things patches of colour and lines, a possible geometrical figure, a fish-bone pattern, and a figure which may depict a boat.