The carvings on Storsteinen (large stone) in Bossekop to the west of Alta were discovered in 1973 by a rock blaster who was called in to look at a boulder that was obstructing the gardens of two houses and needed to be removed. When the blaster examined the boulder to see how it could be demolished without damaging the houses, he saw the figures that are carved on the top of the boulder. He stopped work and reported his findings to the Tromsø Museum. The boulder was left intact and now has a permanent place in one of the gardens. It has between 500 and 600 figures, carved closely together and partly on top of each other.

Reindeer, singly and in large flocks, are the most frequently depicted animals among the Alta carvings: reindeer with two legs and four legs, with single horns and double horns, and mating reindeer and pregnant females. Their importance in the barter system was indisputable. Many of the carvings show different ways of hunting and gathering them. The reindeer on the stamp has been given a red nose. Is it Rudolph?

Alta rock carvings are the standard motif for Norway Post’s fourth issue of Personalised Stamps. This new form of stamp has been a tremendous success since its launching in 2006. Thousands of this year’s Christmas greetings will most certainly be franked with self-composed stamps. Like to try? Click in to www.posten.no.

Subjects: Rudolph the reindeer, rock carvings
Design: Enzo Finger
Value: NOK 7.00 (A-Priority, domestic)
Number: Booklets containing 8 stamps each
Printing: Standardised subject and frame: 5-colour offset by Cartor, France Personalised subject printed with a laser printer
Sales prices:
First day cover: NOK 10.00
Presentation pack: NOK 33.00
Collector’s set: NOK 48.00
Collector’s sheet: NOK 48.00