Two Norwegian youths who wrecked a 5,000-year-old rock carving of a figure on skis risk prosecution under Norway’s Cultural Heritage Act, the archaeologist who surveyed the damage confirmed on Sunday.

The vandals said they had been trying to improve the historical site by carving over the outline of the figure to make it easier to see - but local officials described their makeshift restoration as a "tragedy" for Norway's cultural heritage.

Tor-Kristian Storvik, the county archaeologist for Norway’s Nordland County, said that he was pleased the boys had come forward, but he was not prepared to retract the crime report sent to police.

“We are instructed by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage to report all violations of the Cultural Heritage Act, and this is a quite serious violation,” he told the Telegraph.