Northern Europe's most important Bronze Age rock carving site, with petroglyphs dating back 3,000 years that researchers believe represent navigational tools aligned with the stars.
About This Site
The Madsebakke rock carvings on Bornholm, Denmark, constitute the largest and most significant collection of Bronze Age petroglyphs in northern Europe. Dating back approximately 3,000 years, the carvings are incised into exposed rock surfaces and include ships, wheels, circular motifs, and geometric patterns that researchers have interpreted as representations of celestial navigation tools, solar calendars, and maritime route markers. The site reflects the deep astronomical knowledge of Bronze Age Scandinavian cultures, whose seafaring traditions laid the groundwork for the Viking Age navigational achievements that followed more than a millennium later.
Connection to Oak Island
In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Corjan Mol, and members of the team visited Madsebakke during their research trip to Bornholm. Historian Jeanne Cordua presented the 3,000-year-old carvings and described one as a Bronze Age compass aligned with sunrise and sunset at the winter solstice. She also explained how Norse mariners used translucent mineral Sunstones to navigate the open sea, a technology that would have been essential for any transatlantic crossing. Among the carvings the team identified a four-dot cross, a symbol that has appeared repeatedly in the Oak Island investigation including on the H/O stone found on the island's northern shore. Doug Crowell connected nearby carved potholes representing the Hyades constellation to the stone piles on Lot 15 of Oak Island, which Professor Gaspani had independently linked to the same star cluster during his analysis of Nolan's Cross. The convergence of celestial references at Madsebakke and on Oak Island strengthened the case for a shared navigational and symbolic tradition connecting Scandinavian and Templar cultures.
Fieldwork Notes
Visited during Season 11 by Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, and team members, accompanied by Corjan Mol. Historian Jeanne Cordua guided the visit. The team documented four-dot cross symbols, Hyades constellation carvings matching Lot 15 stone piles, and Bronze Age compass alignments.
