Wooden elk head sculpture

This wooden elk head was found in a bog in Lehtojärvi, Rovaniemi, when digging a ditch in 1955. Based on the joints carved into the elk’s head, the object was probably a boat figurehead. Elk head boats were also depicted in rock art. However, the wooden elk head found in Lehtojärvi is the only evidence of the possible existence of such boats. The elk head was painted with red ochre, which also connects it with rock paintings. The object has been dated to about 8,000 years old and made in the Mesolithic Stone Age circa 6000 BCE. The elk head weighs 748 g and is approximately 37 cm long.

The object has been 3D modelled.

Photo: Matti Kilponen