Photo. Cave in Heller, Helleren in Moss, which from the latter half of the Late Stone Age. It`s located near Gjerrebogen in Moss, Norway, under an overhanging rock wall called "Heller".
Throughout the whole of the Haugalandet region there are traces of Norway's earliest settlements. There has been found flint axes, arrowheads and spear heads found at Fosen in Karmøy.
Humans have lived near the Karmsund strait for at least 10.000 years. Traces can be found throughout the landscape: rock carvings, burial sites, stone monuments, stone crosses and churches.
In the Moss region there are also many traces from old time. Based on information from Moss kommune`s website, Moss Municipality (www.moss-kommune.no): Cultural Heritage Act of 9 June 1978 No. 50, defines cultural heritage as follows:
"With heritage means all traces of human activity in our physical environment, including sites associated with the historical events, faith or tradition.
With cultural environments means areas where cultural heritage is part of a larger entity or context. After this law, it is cultural or architectural valuable cultural heritage that can be protected."
There are several different categories of protection, where protection is the strongest instrument. Heritage from ancient and medieval up to 1537 are automatically protected. Management of Cultural Heritage's not just through the Cultural Heritage Act, but also through the Planning and Building Act of 14 June 1985 number 77 and special laws which are managed by the other sectors including the Conservation Act.
According to Moss kommune`s website, Moss Municipality (www.moss-kommune.no), there are registered archaeological 83 heritages before 1537 in the Moss region. These are automatically protected and subject to Cultural Heritage by the curator in Østfold County. Some of these monuments and sites are:
- The Stone Age settlements at Jeløy and at the caves at the end of the Slalom Gjerrebogenbukta Bakken.
- From the Bronze Age, there are several burial mounds on the east side of Dill Ingøy in Vansjø on Røys Hill Moss forest and Jeløy.
- Østfold northern rock carving is proven by the Ramberg Jeløy.
The Moss region in Norway is for genuine adventurers. It has a beautiful countryside, the ydillic peninsula of Jeløya, wooden hills and dense pristine forests. Moss offers an abundance of trails and paths, but the most exciting is venture out on the off beaten tracks. All around, especially in the forests, there are plenty of tracks from Norway`s oldest heritage. Some are official known, others are known by few and others are just waiting to be found.
Stein Morten Lund, 24 May 2010
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