Young Boy Accidentally Ruins 5000-Year-Old Stone Age Carving in Norway

Art restoration is best left to the pros, as one Norwegian boy recently discovered. According to Artnet, the young art fan tried to make the carvings on a famous 5000-year-old stone more visible by retracing the lines and carving them deeper with a sharp object. He succeeded in his mission—and destroyed the rare Stone Age art in the process.

The carving, located at Røøya on the island of Tro, is known as The Skier (captured in the video below) because it resembles a person participating in the recreational activity. The piece is considered one of the country's most acclaimed historical sites. At least, until the boy came along. A study of the site will be conducted in September, but officials claim that early observations show the damage is likely already done.

The identity of the boy is known, but he is a minor so his information has not been shared. "It’s a kid, and it was done out of good intentions," Bård Anders Langø, the mayor of a local municipality, told The Local. " They were trying to make it more visible actually, and I don’t think they understood how serious it was. I think now they understand."

The unnamed boy will join legions of other amateurs who tried to give the artists a helping hand without permission, including a woman who recently solved a decades-old crossword puzzle piece and then claimed ownership, and another who tried to restore a painting of Jesus.

[h/t Artnet]

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