GP 183 Hejnum Nygårds

Context and Discovery
Information given by Lindqvist (1941/42 II, p. 72): “This picture stone was found by [Fredrik Nordin] in 1886 lying at the edge of a small wood and later re-erected at that place (currently Myråker). The site is marked in the sheet SGU Slite and lies north 35° west of Rote, south 10° west of the western farm in Nygårds. Next to the picture stone, several irregularly positioned stone slabs were found, which, however, did not appear to be part of a grave or a similar structure. The obverse faces east 30° south, as it apparently did originally.” The place is located about 370 m south of the farmstead ʻNygårdsʼ, circa 250 south of the road. Nordin conducted a small excavation of the find spot, however, without resulting in any findings or contexts (Andreeff 2012, p. 130). Today, the place is no longer wooded, and the picture stone stands uncovered at the border between two agricultural fields, next to a ditch.

Measurements, Material and Condition
Lindqvist (1941/42 II, p. 72) described the stone as follows: “Limestone slab, about 17 cm thick, almost 2.5 m high. The height above the root is slightly more than 175 cm, the width of the head is 76 cm, the width of the neck is 72 cm, that of the base 92 cm.” The left corner of the head “[…] is still very clear, while the right is still recognisable despite some rather severe damage.”

In 2003, the stone was inspected by Gotland’s Museum and re-erected since it had toppled towards the ditch. The slab was newly anchored and fixed with boulders, and the edge of the ditch was supported to prevent further tilting and toppling. In 2009, the picture stone was inspected again by a team of stone conservators and conservation measures were taken (GF, Buttle sn Allmänt, ʻKonserveringsrapport avseende fem bildstenar, Gotland 2009ʼ). At that time, the slab was slightly tilting towards the ditch “but still has a solid anchoring and is propped with small boulders.” The surface was cleaned of lichens, some minor broken parts and spallings, in particular, at the narrow sides, were fixed with calcareous mortar, and new boulders were added. Nevertheless, during the time after the conservation measures in 2009, the stone tilted again and finally felt into the ditch. In 2018, it has been re-erected by a construction company on behalf of Länsstyrelsen (ʻcounty administrationʼ).

Description of Ornament and Images
Only faint remains of carvings visible “[…] that cannot inform us about the stone’s original ornamentation” (Lindqvist 1941/42, II, p. 72). In addition to the photos of the stone and its location provided by Lindqvist (ibid. fig. 415–416; cf. ATA B3:55–56 [dating 1937]), there is a drawing by Olof Sörling kept in ATA (Run- och bildstenssamling), which depicts a blank surface without any traces of those remains.

Interpretation of the Imagery
No interpretation

Type and Dating
Tall mushroom-shaped late-type picture stone, belonging to ʻAbschnittʼ C–E according to Lindqvist. If there is no decoration left, those monuments can only be roughly dated to the period between the 8th century and around AD 1100. Nordin’s excavation of the find spot in 1886 did not result in any finds or conclusions regarding chronology.

References
Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 72, fig. 415–416; Lamm/Nylén 2003, p. 170; Andreeff 2010, pp. 130, 143; Oehrl 2019a, p. 34.

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