Parish Find Location ⓘ
Källunge

Find Location ⓘ
Källunge church

Find Context Classification ⓘ
Church

Coordinate Find Location (lat) ⓘ
6390703

Coordinate Find Location (long) ⓘ
714141

Parish Present Location ⓘ
Källunge

Present Location ⓘ
Inside the church, embedded into the flooring of the choir.

Present Location Classification ⓘ
Church
In-Loco

Coordinate Present Location (lat) ⓘ
6390703

Coordinate Present Location (long) ⓘ
714141

Material
Limestone

Height ⓘ
144

Width ⓘ
44

Lindqvist Type 
C/D (ca. 700-1000)

Lindqvist Shape 
Tall stone

Runic Inscription or not ⓘ
No

Context and Discovery ⓘ
The fragment was discovered in the floor of the choir by Beata Böttger-Niedenzu in 1984, together with GP 227 Källunge kyrka 9 and GP 228 Källunge kyrka 10. In 1982, Böttger-Niedenzu submitted her master’s thesis on Gotland’s picture stones to the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, and during the years 1981 to 1985, she visited the Gotlandic rural churches, discovering not fewer than 38 previously unknown picture stones, which she published in a brief catalogue in 1988. Källunge kyrka 8 is situated some meters south-east of the altar, with its eastern long side directly bordering the eastern wall of the choir. Källunge kyrka 10 is placed just next to it, bordering in the north. Källunge kyrka 9 was re-used as the first of three steps leading to the sacrament niche (ʻaumbryʼ) in the northern wall of the choir. Six fragments from the nave, most of them kerbstones (Randsteine), were published by Sune Lindqvist in 1941/42 (GP 219–224 Källunge kyrka I–VI). Between 1979 and 1984, another possible picture stone was discovered in front of the sacristy door (GP 225 Källunge kyrka 7).

An apsidal choir built between 1100 and 1150 was the first part of the church, while the present nave and the tower date to around 1150. The small Romanesque choir, however, was replaced by a new and much larger Gothic style choir building, which was not finished before 1350. The tiny Romanesque nave could not be used as such anymore and therefore the ʻoversizedʼ choir serves as main part of the church.
GP 227 Källunge kyrka 9
GP 228 Källunge kyrka 10
GP 219 Källunge kyrka I
GP 220 Källunge kyrka II
GP 221 Källunge kyrka III
GP 222 Källunge kyrka IV
GP 223 Källunge kyrka V
GP 224 Källunge kyrka VI
GP 225 Källunge kyrka 7

Measurements, Material and Condition ⓘ
The fragment is roughly rectangular, 1.40 m long and about 0.40–0.43 m at its narrow sides. The limestone slab is dark grey and slightly reddish. Its surface is a bit rough and seems to be weathered. It does not appear to be greatly worn by footsteps, and thus some parts of the decoration are still discernable quite well.

Description of Ornament and Images ⓘ
In the south-western corner of the preserved surface of the stone two rows of at least five small rectangles (no squares or rhombi) each are clearly discernable, running along the long side. Both rows are placed directly one above the other, forming a kind of checkerboard pattern. The rectangular fields are alternately lowered and raised.

Interpretation of the Imagery ⓘ
No interpretation

Type and Dating ⓘ
Böttger-Niedenzu (1988, p. 11) compares the rows of rectangles with the checkerboard patterns carved on the Type B stones GP 77–78 Eskelhem Lasarve I–II. Similar patterns occur on the Type B stones GP 248 Lärbro Källstäde and GP 578 Alva Änge. However, for three reasons the picture stone from Källunge must be regarded as a Type C/D monument instead. First, in the case of the mentioned Type B stones, the checkerboard pattern is only carved in simple lines but not alternately lowered and raised as on Källunge kyrka 8. Regarding this technique, the depictions of checkerboard-patterned sails on the Type C/D picture stones GP 94 Garda Bote, GP 97 Garda kyrka I and GP 7 Alskog Tjängvide III are perfect matches instead. Secondly, the mentioned Type B stones (as well as the three above mentioned Type C/D stones) depict square-shaped fields instead of rectangles. On the Type C stone GP 561 Väte Gullarve, however, the alternately lowered and raised fields are clearly rectangular instead of square. This stone appears to be the best match. Finally, with 1.40 m in length, the fragment certainly originates from a relatively tall monument, which cannot have represented a Type B stone, as all stones of ʻAbschnittʼ B are so-called dwarf stones, hardly higher than about 1.00 m. Thus, the fragment Källunge kyrka 8 can be roughly dated to between the 8th century or about AD 800 and the 10th century.
GP 77 Eskelhem Larsarve I
GP 78 Eskelhem Larsarve II
GP 248 Lärbro Källstäde
GP 578 Alva änge
GP0094
GP 97 Garda kyrka I
GP 7 Alskog Tjängvide III
GP 561 Väte Gullarve

References ⓘ
Böttger-Niedenzu 1988, p. 11.

 ⓘ
Fyndplats
Bildstenen påträffades 1984 liggande i golvet sydost om altaret i kyrkans kor.

Nuvarande lokalisering
Samma plats som när bildstenen påträffades.

Beskrivning
Tillhugget fragment, 140 x 43 cm, av en svampformig bildsten (typ C-D). Rester av schackrutigt mönster, som bör motsvara ett segel.

Datering
Dateringen kan inte anges närmare, men den tillhör perioden 700-900-talen.

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning.

AA

Title
GP 226 Källunge kyrka 8

RAÄ ID ⓘ
54

Jan Peder Lamm ID
417