GP 148 Halla Broa XIX

Context and Discovery
Lindqvist published 20 picture stones under the name of the farmstead Broa (today Broe), all of which appear to originate from the unusually large Iron Age grave field, which is situated in the south-western part of Halla parish, close to the border to Roma parish, and which had been well known through the ages, first mentioned by Strelow in 1633. The farm belongs to the community of Högbro. Since time immemorial, two important country roads, the road Halla–Viklau and the road Roma-Sjonhem (ʻVisbyvägenʼ) intersect here, where a rise consisting of gravel (the ʻhigh bridgeʼ = Högbro) clearly emerges out of the terrain, leading across the great bog system Romamyr-Stormyr. Both roads in turn are intersected by the railway line Roma–Etelhem. The railway intersects both roads a few hundred metres to the west and southwest of the crossing. During the 19th century, the Högbro elevation was severely diminished and large parts of the Broa cemetery were destroyed by clearing and cultivation, gravel mining, house building, railway and road construction, as well as deliberate grave robbing. Many finds from Broa were sold on the antiquities market during this time, with many acquired by ATA. Unfortunately, the large and highly important cemetery of Högbro-Broa is still not published adequately; its present documentation is incomplete and confusing. The best overview about the history and state of research is given by Lena Thunmark-Nylén (1995–2006 III:2, pp. 621–623; IV:1, pp. 324–347).

The first professional and large-scale excavation took place in 1899, conducted by Hans Hansson, who unearthed 14 graves in a small area next to the intersection, just south of the road Roma-Sjonhem and east of the road to Viklau. One further large-scale excavation was carried out in 1981–82 by Ann-Marie Pettersson, who investigated 120 graves (9 inhumation, 102 cremation, 9 without bones) in a small area (circa 700 m2) about 50 m north of the road Roma-Sjonhem and about 40 m east of the road to Halla (Broe 1:71; see the report compiled by Daniel Langhammer from 2012, RAGU dnr 13/82, 789/84). Apart from that, several minor and poorly documented investigations took place, in the beginning of the 20th century and, in particular during the 1930s and the early 1940s.

Two large areas are registered by ATA, a burial ground north of the road Roma-Sjonhem (ATA Halla 46:1) and a burial ground south of the road (ATA Halla 48:1). The first one (46:1) covers an area of circa 120 x 110 m (E–W) and contains 66 circular stone settings and 120 investigated flat graves. The other one (48:1) is about 300 x 120 m (N–S) and features 202 circular stone settings. Several other registered monuments, about 15 stone settings, 2 stone kists and 1 gravklot (large spherical stone) seem to belong to the Broa grave field as well (ATA Halla 1:1, 1:2, 74:1, 78:1, 79:1; Roma 31:1, 31:2, 32:1). Thunmark-Nylén (1995–2006 III:2, p. 622) estimates the number of investigated graves alone at about 300 to 400. The actual size and extent of the cemetery, however, remains uncertain.

The oldest investigated burials can be dated to the Roman Iron Age, although some unexcavated stone settings are typical for the Pre-Roman Iron Age. Most of the graves, however, date to the Migration, Vendel and Viking Periods. First and foremost, the grave field is well-known and frequently cited for some particularly important finds such as the decorated horse harness from the equestrian burial discovered in 1899, after which the Broa Style is named (Salin 1922; Thunmark-Nylén 1992; 1995–2006 IV:1, pp. 325–326), the lyre bridge of amber from the same grave (Reimers 1980), and many remarkable finds of glass vessels from all periods (Nylén 1969). Furthermore, several elite warrior graves contain fragments of ring-swords as well as a Vendel helmet (Nerman 1969–1975 I:1, p. 29; II, fig. 601).

The exact location of the find spots of the picture stones is difficult to determine in most cases, and their contexts and relation to the known parts of the cemetery remain unclear. Most of them originate from the railway line and the area west of it (called ʻBrandenʼ) and the rest from the area east of the road to Halla, between the road and the border to Roma (ʻKlosterängenʼ). Lindqvist (1941/42 II, fig. 378) provides a map, which was primarily composed at the National Heritage Board (RAÄ) based on the information kept in ATA. It identifies the location of the find places of the stones as carefully as they could be determined at Lindqvist’s time.

Halla Broa XIX was found in 1933, re-used as part of a grave construction. It was discovered during the investigation of a circa 1000 m2 large area east of the property of O.V. Olafsson, in the northernmost part of the known cemetery, about 150 m east of the road to Halla (according to Lindqvist’s map, 1941/42 II, fig. 378). The archaeological investigation was conducted by Harald Hansson (Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:1, pp. 340–345). The stone mound (röse) had a diameter of 1.75–2.00 m, and the picture stone served as a covering slab on an undisturbed cremation burial (grave 8/1933; ibid. p. 342; Rundkvist 2012, p. 153 cat. no. 15). A Viking Period penannular brooch was placed on top of the slab, while pottery shards and the cremated bones were beneath the stone cover. In the western part of the mound, remains of a disturbed inhumation grave were found (grave 9a–b/1933), covered by a stone slab as well, containing Viking Age material such as beads, a bronze dress pin, and a silver bracelet, as well as a heavily worn Vendel Period box brooch. The burial can be dated to the early 11th century.

Measurements, Material and Condition
There are no drawings or photos of the stone available, neither in Lindqvist’s book, nor in the archives. Lindqvist (1941/42 II, p. 67) gives the following information: “Limestone slab, above the slightly rougher root 4–6 cm thick. The obverse naturally even to some extent, possibly a bit hewn above the root. The narrow sides appear to be hewn at right angles towards the obverse, probably with a chamfer in between. The slightly convex top side is just as smooth as the right narrow side (which is 17 cm high) and the lowermost section of the left narrow side. The reverse is a rough, uneven fractures surface, possibly secondary. Total height 50 cm, about 20 cm of which above the root.” According to Lindqvist, the stone is “severely weathered”.

Description of Ornament and Images
There seem to be no traces of carvings discernable on the stone.

Interpretation of the Imagery
No interpretation.

Type and Dating
Lindqvist (1941/42 I, p. 38) assigns the stone to ʻAbschnittʼ B. His description of the fragment’s shape, however, is confusing and inconsistent: “Either a picture stone of ʻcist typeʼ (cf. Halla Broa V and VI) or fragment (root and the lower part of the body) of a picture stone with its corners aligned horizontally and the body tapering towards the top” (ibid. II, p. 67). Lindqvist compares Halla Broa XIX to Halla Broa V–VI, which feature the typical outline of the called cist stones, representing small gabel-like slabs with wave-shaped upper edge. In most cases, those stones represent late-type monuments, belonging to Lindqvist’s ʻAbschnittʼ C/D or E. Due to the small size and the typical decoration of Halla Broa V–VI, however, Lindqvist (1941/42 I, pp. 38, 40) assigns both stones to ʻAbschnittʼ B, dating to AD 500–700. They represent the only cist stones, which Lindqvist assigned to ʻAbschnittʼ B. According to Lindqvist (1941/42 I, pp. 40, 47–48, 58–61; 1964, pp. 42–84), small picture stones featuring a wave-shaped upper edge (cist stones), were originally used either pairwise representing grave markers or in a group of four forming cist-shaped (grave or sacrificial) monuments. However, all known cist stones have been discovered in secondary contexts (Stenkvist 2014).
GP 144 Halla Broa V
GP 145 Halla Broa VI

References
Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 67; Rundkvist 2012, p. 153 cat. no. 15; Stenkvist 2014 I p. 16, 33; II, p. 22.

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