GP 392 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIII

Context and Discovery
The cemetery of Lillbjärs (or Lilla Bjärs, sometimes just Bjärs, also as Bjers), in Stenkyrka parish is one of the largest and most important grave fields on Gotland (RAÄ Stenkyrka 26:1; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 118; Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 III:2, p. 627). It includes more than 1000 visible stone settings (rösen and other circular or almost circular stone mounds), as well as a ship-shaped stone setting from the Bronze Age (5 x 2.25 m), and a monumental (17 m in diameter) grave mound called ʻÄuglehaugʼ (or ʻUgglehaugʼ), which probably dates to the Migration Period. An old path of about 550 m leads through the entire area in an east-west direction. Many of the graves were robbed, and only a small number have been excavated, including about a dozen dating to the Viking Period. Remarkable features of the stone mounds are a surrounding dry-stone wall consisting of several layers of limestone slabs, as well as the frequent occurrence of grave orbs (large spherical stones) (gravklot), erected stone slabs, and picture stones in the immediate context of the (Vendel or Viking Period) graves (ibid. pp. 582–583). Lindqvist published nineteen picture stones from this grave field – GP 369–373, 377–381, 388–396, 429–431, 440 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs I–XIX.

“In November 1908, O. V. Wennersten reported in a letter to the National Antiquarian that a local, Emil Svensson in Tune, had discovered three picture stones on the ground belonging to Lillbjärs and taken custody of them. […] On this occasion, the antiquarian Emil Eckhoff visited the find place during the following summer and sent to SHM the stones [Stenkyrka Lillbjärs I–VI] as well as three fragments of another slab, which, however, did not clearly represent a picture stone. He also collected numerous grave orbs (gravklot) […]. In 1911, [Fredrik Nordin] visited the site and was given more information by Svensson about the find place and the circumstances of the discovery of the stones […]. When [Fredrik Nordin] returned in 1913 to conduct excavations, Svensson in the meantime had moved away, and unfortunately, it turned out to be impossible to locate all the find places described by him” (ibid.). Nordin excavated a number of stone settings in 1913 as well as in the following summer and discovered eight more picture stones in situ (Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VII–XIV). Between 1910 and 1912, three more picture stones were reported to Gotlands Museum by Svensson and moved to Visby where they are still kept today (Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XV–XVIII). Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XIX was found later, in 1927.

Most of the picture stones from Stenkyrka church presumably came from the Lillbjärs necropolis as well. Nevertheless, the stock of picture stones from this site can by no means have been recorded completely, and there is good reason to believe that this grave field in the future will provide even more discoveries (cf. Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 118).

The stones VII–IX were discovered by Fredrik Nordin during investigations conducted in 1913 and delivered to Statens Historiska Museum in 1914 (Fornvännen 1915, p. 30; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 118). The picture stone fragment Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIII was found just next to grave no. 3 (ibid. fig. 508). It lay “[…] at the southwest edge of a smaller, oval stone setting (grave 3), which with its north edge touched the stone setting of grave 2, in which the picture stone [GP 370 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs] VII had come to light” (ibid. 125). The stone was located at 15 cm depth, slightly inclined, near two other lying and two erected limestone slabs (all information about the mound: Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:2, p. 660–661). The slightly oval stone mound (grave 3) had a size of about 2.3 x 2.75 m and featured a surrounding wall of 10–14 layers of limestone slabs. Incorporated into this wall, at the north-east and the south-west edge, two small stone cists containing burned human bones were discovered. Items from both cists – three tongue-shaped pendants, a dress pin, and a key – can be dated to the 10th/11th century (Periods VIII:2–3).
GP 369 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs IV
GP 370 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VII
GP 371 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs IX
GP 372 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XIII
GP 373 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XIX
GP 377 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIa
GP 378 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIb
GP 379 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIc
GP 380 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VId
GP 381 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIe
GP 388 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs I
GP 389 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs II
GP 390 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs III
GP 391 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs V
GP 393 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XIV
GP 394 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XV
GP 395 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XVII
GP 396 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XVIII
GP 429 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XVI
GP 430 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XI
GP 431 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XII
GP 440 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs X

Measurements, Material and Condition
The fragment represents the entire head of a small mushroom-shaped picture stone, including its neck part. Lindqvist provides a photo of the unpainted stone (1941/42 II, fig. 519), which was taken by H. Faith-Ell in 1933 (ATA 1715:75). A photo taken in 1925 is kept in ATA as well (594:4h). “Limestone slab, 7 cm thick. The obverse is even, the narrow sides are hewn at right angles towards the obverse and chamfered towards the back. The reverse is rough and unworked. The surviving height is 46 cm. The head is 33 cm wide, the neck 27 cm” (ibid. p. 125). The contour of the monument is perfectly preserved while its surface is very much weathered.

Description of Ornament and Images
No traces of carvings remain.

Interpretation of the Imagery
No interpretation

Type and Dating
Mushroom-shaped late-type ʻdwarf stoneʼ, which means Lindqvist’s ʻAbschnittʼ C/D or E. Those stones, if no remains of decoration are left, can only be roughly dated to the period between the 8th century and about AD 1100. The burials in the (secondarily incorporated?) stone cists can be dated to the 10th/11th century (see IV).

References
Fornvännen 1915, p. 30; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 125, figs. 508, 519.

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