Flendalen is home to the oldest quarry and the only known jasper quarry in the southern Norwegian Inland.
Flendalen is home to the oldest quarry and the only known jasper quarry in the southern Norwegian hinterland. Jasper is a fine-grained quartz stone that, due to iron compounds, has acquired a beautiful red or reddish-pink color. It has just as good cleavage properties as flint.
The jasper quarry is the first traces of "tryslinger" who in the Early Stone Age, i.e. almost 10,000 years ago, started the extraction of jasper. The stone was used to make tools for trapping animals such as moose, bears, small game and for further processing meat, skins and hides into food, clothing and housing.
The quarry was known locally far back in time and was archaeologically investigated and described in the mid-1980s.
A little about the trail to the Jasper quarry
The trail starts below Brynhøsetra, a disused goat farm. It is signposted from Bittermarkvegen, and at the start of the trail there is nice parking. From the parking lot it is about 2 km to the quarry.
The trail goes through old hay land with tall plants such as bull's helmet, woodcock, valerian, goldenrod and white-leaved thistle. If you take a detour from the trail, you will see many large and coarse spruce trees right up under the mountain band. Against the sky on the right side you see Brynhøa. Above the valley to the left, you can see Mjølfjellet and Falkhamrene with Falkkjølen below. The name suggests that falconry may have been carried out here in earlier times. Just before the arrival of the jasper quarry, there are many large and special spruce trees. The path winds between large trunks with lush tree crowns, and there are also a lot of ferns in the area.
At the jasper quarry, there are information boards that tell you about the quarry and what you see.
The jasper quarry is protected under the Cultural Heritage Act.
