Children destroy 5000-year-old rock carving in misguided restoration bid
The rock carving before it was destroyed.
The "good intentions" of two children have destroyed one of the world’s earliest carvings on a remote island in Norway.
The primitive etching depicting a figure on skis had survived the harsh conditions on Tro island for 5000 years but after such a long amount of time it was looking understandably worse for wear.
When two children visited they thought they could improve the image by scratching over it to make it easier to see.
"It was done out of good intentions," Alstahaug Municipality mayor Bård Anders Langø told The Local.
"They were trying to make it more visible actually, and I don’t think they understood how serious it was."
After the vandalism was reported on Friday the children came forward but have not been identified.
They could face criminal charges under Norway's Cultural Heritage Act.
The damage is believed to be irreversible.
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