Parish Find Location ⓘ
Akebäck

Find Location ⓘ
Akebäck church

Find Context Classification ⓘ
Church

Coordinate Find Location (lat) ⓘ
6383411

Coordinate Find Location (long) ⓘ
702990

Parish Present Location ⓘ
Akebäck

Present Location ⓘ
Akebäck churchyard

Present Location Classification ⓘ
Churchyard

Coordinate Present Location (lat) ⓘ
6383411

Coordinate Present Location (long) ⓘ
702990

Material
Limestone

Height ⓘ
297

Width ⓘ
101

Lindqvist Type 
C/D (ca. 700-1000)

Lindqvist Shape 
Tall stone

Iconographic Keywords
 ⓘserpent 

Runic Inscription or not ⓘ
No

Context and Discovery ⓘ
During an extensive restoration of the church in 1931, the old plaster on the outer walls was removed and thus a huge picture stone (only faintly visible before) was uncovered in the lower part of the nave’s northern wall, just on eye level. It was lying on its left long side, rotated 90 degrees, the ornamented surface facing outwards. The nave and the choir (where another possible picture stone was found, see GP 2 Akebäck kyrka 2) represent the oldest parts of the church, dating to the late 12th century. Soon after its discovery, the monument was moved from the church wall and re-erected in the churchyard, 7 m north of the wall of the nave where it was found, its front side facing west.

Another primitively carved and fragmented stone slab has been discovered in front of the choir portal, re-used as a step (GF1310-145). It was registered in 1997 (GF: Akebäck kyrkogård, kyrkogårdsinventeringen 1996–97) and 2004 (GF: Akebäck kyrka, utvändig restaurering 2004, dokumentation) (see there for photos). However, the carving technique is different from those of the picture stones and seems to indicate a later date (Middle Ages? Early Modern Period?).
GP 2 Akebäck kyrka 2

Measurements, Material and Condition ⓘ
The slab is approx. 0.25–0.3 m thick. The find situation and the total size of the monument can still be seen from its outline in the re-plastered wall. Its size is more than 3.5 m. Currently, 2.97 m of the slab are visible from the ground to the top. The head part alone has a height of 0.97 m; from the ground to the stone’s neck it is 2.0 m. At its visible base, the stone is 1.68 m (originally circa 1.84 m), at the neck 0.91 m, and the head part circa 1.00 m broad.

A small part of the head’s top is broken off obliquely. The lower right corner of the stone’s foot is missing as well, cut down with a straight vertical cut. However, there is little loss of material; the image field is apparently not affected.

The surface of the limestone slab is relatively even, overgrown with lichens, very dark, and partly blackish. The picture stone must have been facing outwards without being covered by plaster for a long period of time, thus its carvings have completely vanished due to weathering. Furthermore, according to Lindqvist, its surface seems to have been cleaned with a wire brush, which additionally affected the once-ornamented front side of the stone.

It is remarkable that already in 1932, the newspaper Nya Dagligt Allehanda (6 February issue) had warned that the re-erected picture stone needs protection against weathering. The stone’s back side, which had been safe inside the church wall for centuries, was now threatened by rain and frost, the newspaper notes. It already had some cracks and ʻflakyʼ areas, where frost could easily damage the surface.

Description of Ornament and Images ⓘ
According to Lindqvist, only faint remains of a 12 cm wide border containing a ribbon pattern were observable at the right edge of the head part. Apart from that, no other traces of ornament or figurative carvings are currently visible.

Interpretation of the Imagery ⓘ
No interpretation

Type and Dating ⓘ
Tall mushroom-shaped late-type picture stone, i.e., Type C/D according to Lindqvistʼs typology. Type C/D monuments can only be roughly dated to the period between the 8th and 10th centuries. Type E is less probable since E-stones of this size are usually carved with deep and distinct inscriptions and rune stone ornament, which do not disappear completely due to weathering.

References ⓘ
Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 13, fig. 301; Oehrl 2019a, pp. 12, 39.

 ⓘ
Fyndplats
Hittades vid restaureringen av Väskinde kyrka 1931. Bildstenen var återanvänd som byggnadsmaterial under medeltiden. Den låg på sin långsida i långhusets norra yttervägg under putsen, med framsidan utåt.

Nuvarande förvaringsplats
År 1931 togs stenen ut och restes sju meter norr om väggen på kyrkogården, där den fortfarande är placerad.

Beskrivning
Stor svampformad bildsten av ungefär 3.00 m höjd över marken.

Inga rester av bilderna finns bevarade på stenen på grund av att ytan är vittrad. Endast få rester av kantbården på stenens huvud finns kvar.

Datering
Kan inte anges med säkerhet; ungefär 700 till 900-talet e.Kr. (vikingatid).

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning.

SO

Title
GP 1 Akebäck kyrka (I)

Fornsök ID ⓘ
L1977:4467

RAÄ ID ⓘ
Akebäck 11:1

Jan Peder Lamm ID
1

Lindqvist Title ⓘ
Akebäck Kirchhof