Parish Find Location 
Burs

Find Location 
Under the floor of Burs church.

Find Context Classification 
Church

Coordinate Find Location (lat) 
6350186

Coordinate Find Location (long) 
711693

Parish Present Location 
Unknown

Present Location 
Currently not traceable.

Present Location Classification 
Unknown

Coordinate Present Location (lat) 
6350186

Coordinate Present Location (long) 
711693

Material 
Limestone

Height 
81

Width 
50

Thickness 
14

Lindqvist Type 
A (ca. 400-600)

Lindqvist Shape 
Kerb stone

Iconographic Keywords 
moon 

Runic Inscription or not 
No

Context and Discovery 
The only information given by Lindqvist is that the “fragment of a picture stone [was] found in 1924, together with No. II under the floor in the nave” (1941/42 II, p. 35). Both stones were discovered during a church restoration, and then removed and photographed by A. Edle in front of the church in 1924 (ATA run- och bildstenssamling 807:17–18). The photos of the painted stones that Lindqvist reproduces (1941/42 I, figs. 19, 21) were taken by H. Faith-Ell in 1933 (ATA run- och bildstenssamling 1649:3–4). Both stones have been kept in the sacristy since no later than 1968 (Lagerlöf/Stolt 1967, p. 70). Today, GP 53 Burs kyrka I is kept in the parish storerooms while GP 54 Burs kyrka II is not traceable.

The Romanesque church of Burs was built during the 13th century (Lagerlöf/Stolt 1967, p. 37). First the choir was erected, possibly with an apse. The nave, which was remains today, was added in the first half of the 13th century after the original choir, which was replaced by the current Gothic choir in the middle of the 14th century. The age of the nave is indicated by the typical capitals of the two portals on the south and north sides (ibid. 37, 79). The construction of the Romanesque church was completed with the tower, which was built around the middle of the 13th century. According to a medieval tax register, the church was erected in the year 1240; however, this date probably refers to the consecration of the finished Romanesque church, after the tower was erected (ibid. 37, 79).
SO
GP 53 Burs kyrka I

Measurements, Material and Condition 
The almost rectangular fragment represents approximately the left half of what Lindqvist determined to be a kerbstone monument. “Limestone, up to 14 cm thick. The obverse even. The section of the preserved, longer narrow side is slightly convex longitudinally and dressed in an acute angle towards the obverse almost across its entire width (here 5–7 cm). It is now impossible to decide whether it formerly was divided by a narrow chamfer. One of the shorter narrow sides, forming an obtuse angle to the convex one, is dressed in the same manner, while the other was formed by a later break. The fourth narrow side and the reverse are unworked. The carefully hewn narrow side is preserved to a length of 81 cm. The width of the stone slab, at right angles to the edge, is 45 to 50 cm” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 35–36). Parts of the decoration are weathered, but most of it is very clearly worked and still perfectly visible.
SO

Description of Ornament and Images 
The decorative border panel that runs parallel to the upper convex edge of the stone begins on the left side as two rows of mirrored arches carved in relief that are separated by a raised band. The middle section of the border panel is damaged, but the decoration appears to transition into a compressed band design on the right side. According to Lindqvist (1941/42 II, p. 36), the decoration was carved at a depth of up to 2 mm.
CJL

Interpretation of the Imagery 
No interpretation

Type and Dating 
Lindqvist (1941/42 I, pp. 28, 31–33, 110) categorised Burs kyrka II as a kerbstone (Randstein) that he includes within his ʻAbschnittʼ A which dates to circa AD 400–600 (see also Oehrl 2019a, pp. 8–10). According to Lindqvist (1933, pp. 105, 107; 1941/1942 I, pp. 31–33), the kerbstones formed an edge chain which surrounded a grave mound, possibly with an erected Type A picture stone in the center. However, no evidence has been found to confirm that any of the erected Type A picture stones were placed within a grave mound (Larkin 2023a, p. 50). Burs kyrka II is assigned by Lindqvist (1941/42 I, pp. 28, 33) to his group 6 kerbstones which include decorative elements on the broad side such as “rows of arches, rhombi, roundels, or triangles” (Randsteinplatten mit Bogen-, Rauten-, Rondellen- oder Triangelreihen in den Randborten). The decorative border panel consisting of two rows of mirrored arches has perfect parallels in the Type A stones GP 132 Hablingbo Havor I and GP 158 Halla Broa XIV. The compressed band design shows some similarity to the border panel design on GP 206 Hogrän kyrka II.
CJL/SO
GP 132 Hablingbo Havor I
GP 158 Halla Broa XIV
GP 206 Hogrän kyrka II

References 
Lindqvist 1941/1942 I, pp. 28, 33, fig. 19; II, pp. 35–36, fig. 325; Lagerlöf/Stolt 1967, p. 70; Lamm/Nylén 2003, p. 182.

 
Fyndplats
Bildstenen påträffades vid kyrkans renovering 1924 liggande i korgolvet. Stenen flyttades från fyndplatsen redan 1924.

Nuvarande lokalisering
?

Beskrivning
Fragment av kantsten (period A), med bevarad längd 81 cm och bredd 50 cm. Kantdekor.

Inskrift
Ingen inskrift.

Datering
Kan inte dateras med säkerhet, men tillhör perioden 400-600.

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning.

AA

Title
GP 54 Burs kyrka II

Fornsök ID 
L1977:5233

RAÄ ID 
Burs 177:2

Jan Peder Lamm ID 
41

Lindqvist Title 
Burs Kirche II

ATA
K-Samsök