A beloved 5,000-year-old carving of a skier was destroyed in Norway on the island of Tro by an act of accidental vandalism, in what a local mayor described as ‘a national tragedy’.

The carving was destroyed when a young vandal used a sharp object to scratch along the carving with the intention of making the carving more visible, according to The Local.

The rock carving, dating back to the Stone Age, was believed to be one of the earliest representations of skiing. The carving was a famous Norwegian symbol and it was used also as a symbol during the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.

“It’s a tragedy, because it’s one of the most famous Norwegian historical sites,” Bård Anders Langø, the mayor of the nearby Alstahaug Municipality, told The Local.

“It is one of the most internationally known symbols of Norway.”

The archaeologists say the damage is irreversible, although they will return to the site in September to carry out more throughout examinations.

The young vandal, a minor, remains unnamed in order to protect them from public shaming and abuse.

"It’s a kid, and it was done out of good intentions," Langø said.

"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 young 'artist' tried to make the Rock Age sight more visible. Photo: Nordlands Fylkeskommune