Bronze Age boat carvings reveal vast sea networks linking Iberia and Scandinavia

by Dario Radley for Archaeology News Magazine

June 30, 2026

Bronze Age boat carvings found on rocks in Spain and Portugal suggest people living along Europe’s Atlantic coast shared ideas, technology, and beliefs across long sea routes more than 3,000 years ago.

A new study compared prehistoric boat carvings, known as petroglyphs, from 12 sites in northwest Iberia with thousands of similar carvings from southern Scandinavia. The team found strong similarities in the shape and details of the boats. The findings appear in the journal PLOS One.

The research team used high-resolution 3D scanning, digital models, Reflectance Transformation Imaging, and Geographic Information Systems to study the Iberian carvings. These methods revealed details that earlier surveys had missed and allowed direct comparisons with Scandinavian rock art.

Many of the carvings show the same boat features. The vessels have curved hulls, crews, oars, masts, rigging, and shapes linked with sails. Decorative details, including bird figures and S-shaped designs at the ends of the boats, appear in both regions. The close match points to shared shipbuilding knowledge and common artistic traditions across distant coastal communities.

Left: Examples of Atlantic and Figurative Rock Art traditions in northwest Iberia: (A) Tapada do Ozão, Valença; and (B) Monte de Porreiras 6, Paredes de Coura, Portugal. Right: Distribution of Atlantic-style Rock Art and Figurative Rock Art with boat depictions in Europe. Credit: Luís Coutinho, Marta Díaz‑Guardamino / Credit: Díaz-Guardamino et al., PloS One (2026); CC BY 4.0

The comparison dates most Iberian carvings to about 1300 to 800 BCE, during the Late Bronze Age. This period matches the use of similar seafaring technology in southern Scandinavia. The findings suggest northwest Iberia took part in long-distance maritime networks. Sailors either brought new ideas into the region or local groups adopted foreign ship designs through regular contact.

The location of the carvings supports this view. Nearly every Iberian site stands close to the coast, major rivers, or places where navigable water stays in sight. Coastal sites overlook estuaries and likely landing places. Inland sites still keep a direct link with river systems that reached the Atlantic.

One inland site, Penedo do Muro, sits in a valley rich in tin, one of the most important metals of the Bronze Age. The carvings there include boat layouts seen in Scandinavian rock art. The site suggests traders and sailors traveled inland through rivers while seeking metal resources and meeting local groups.

Boat 3 in panel 2 Santo Adrião with details which is suggestive of direct parallels from within the southern Scandinavian boat imagery. Credit: Díaz-Guardamino et al., PloS One (2026); CC BY 4.0

The carvings also point to shared beliefs. Some Iberian sites include sun crosses carved beside boats. These symbols appear in Scandinavian Bronze Age rock art as well. The repeated pairing suggests boats held meaning beyond travel. They likely played a part in rituals and ideas tied to the sun and symbolic journeys.

The study adds to growing evidence that Atlantic Europe formed a connected maritime region during the Late Bronze Age. Ships carried metals such as copper and tin between distant communities. They also spread new technology, artistic styles, and shared beliefs across thousands of kilometers.

The researchers argue that northwest Iberia served as an important center in these sea networks. Future studies will trace the origin of Bronze Age metals through chemical analysis and rebuild ancient coastlines and river routes. This work will help show how people traveled and traded across Atlantic Europe more than 3,000 years ago.