This project aims to map the range of historical rock carvings and rock inscriptions in the Helsinki Metropolitan Region, southern Finland. Helsinki is the capital of Finland (since 1812) and also the home for the University of Helsinki. Mapping these rock carvings that mostly date to the 19th-20th century is an attempt to document them before they are completely lost. Many of them have already been lost in the course of building new infrastructure and housing in the constantly expanding Metropolitan Region (including besides the City of Helsinki also the neighbouring municipalities).

The project sprang from a spontaneous origin after some chance findings of undocumented and unknown rock carvings in various places, typically in small pockets wedged in between the city infrastructure. This prompted documenting these carvings that are often too young to be automatically regarded as ‘Ancient Monuments’ protected by the law in Finland.