Parish Find Location 
Vall

Find Location 
Vall churchyard

Find Context Classification 
Churchyard

Coordinate Find Location (lat) 
6380322

Coordinate Find Location (long) 
700309

Present Location 
Unknown. Lost?

Present Location Classification 
Unknown

Material 
Limestone

Height 
208

Width 
99

Thickness 
20

Lindqvist Type 
C/D (ca. 700-1000)

Lindqvist Shape 
Tall stone

Runic Inscription or not 
No

Context and Discovery 
The picture stone from the churchyard of Vall is published in Lindqvist’s “Gotlands Bildsteine” (II, p. 138–139), based on archival material, which is kept at ATA: According to a brief report by Per Arvid Säve from 1864 (Berättelser), including a drawing of the stone, the monument was standing at the northern wall of the churchyard at that time. Lindqvist also refers to a sketch or drawing of a picture stone from Vall churchyard by Fredrik Nordin, dating to 1880. Both depictions are so similar that, according to Lindqvist, they probably represent one and the same stone, even though the given dimensions differ a bit from one another. Strangely enough, the only picture reproduced in Lindqvist’s book, however, is a drawing by Olof Sörling (II, fig. 550), which is dated between 1909 and 1918. According to Lindqvist, the stone could not be found after 1880.

Measurements, Material and Condition 
According to the report by Per Arvid Säve from 1864, the picture stone had been 2.08 m high, 0.99 m wide, and about 0.20 m thick. On his 1880 drawing, Fredrik Nordin notes the following measurements instead. Total height: 2.22 m, width at the stone’s basis: 0.94 m, width at the stone’s neck: 0.67 m, maximum width of the head: 0.74 m, height of the head alone: 0.50 m high, thickness: 0.14 m. According to Säve, no traces of ornament or inscriptions were preserved on the surface. Nevertheless, the stone itself was completely preserved; only the left part of the root had apparently been broken off.

Description of Ornament and Images 
According to Säve’s report dating to 1864, there were no remains of ornament or inscriptions discernable on the stone. Even then its surface had been completely weathered.

Interpretation of the Imagery 
No interpretation

Type and Dating 
The large stone’s typical mushroom shape is completely preserved and indicates a late-type picture stone, “Abschnitt” C/D according to Lindqvist’s typology. Those stones date between the 8th century and the 10th century. As no carvings were preserved on the stone, it is unlikely to represent a Type E monument. The ornament and inscriptions on the large Type E rune stones are so deeply carved that weathering and footsteps have been unable to obliterate them entirely.

References 
Lindqvist 1941/42 II, pp. 138–139, fig. 550.

 
Fyndplats
Bildstenen omtalades första gången 1864, då den stod mot den norra kyrkogårdsmuren vid Valls kyrka.

Nuvarande lokalisering
Okänd. Bildstenen avbildades 1918, men placeringen var okänd redan 1941.

Beskrivning
En stor svampformig bildsten (typ C-D), 208 x 99 cm.

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

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning.

AA

Title
GP 535 Vall kyrka

Jan Peder Lamm ID 
321

Lindqvist Title 
Vall, Kirchhof

ATA