Tonight, archaeologists in Norway are outraged after vandals destroy this 5000-year-old carving. pic.twitter.com/YSGTMHn35D — As It Happens (@cbcasithappens) August 1, 2016

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Where were their parents?

Two children ruined a 5,000-year-old stone carving in Norway thinking they were helping to improve the image, in what's being described as a tragedy for human history and cultural heritage.

The carving on Tro Island was one of Norway's most famous and treasured historical sites. The etching of a figure on skis was key evidence that people in the Stone Age used skis, and also inspired the symbol for the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994.

An archeologist tragically reported that the new lines made by the boys are both in and outside where the old marks had been, calling it a "sad, sad story."

"We will never again be able to experience these carvings again the way we have for the last 5,000 years,” he said.

A carving of a whale which formed part of the same hunting scene also suffered serious damage, he said.

The boys have come forward, issuing an apology to the public in a local press release.

“It was done out of good intentions," the local mayor said. "They were trying to make it more visible actually, and I don’t think they understood how serious it was."

Still, the boys may face criminal charges, as it was a significant violation of the country's cultural heritage law.

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