GP 151 Halla Broa XX

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 necropolis 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 right 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, with some unexcavated stone settings are typical of 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, there are several elite warrior graves containing fragments of ring-swords as well as a Vendel helmet (Nerman 1969–1975 I:1, p. 29; II, fig. 601).

The exact locations 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 XX was found in 1930 during the investigation of about 10 stone mounds conducted by Ture J. Arne (Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:1, p. 333; ATA dnr 715-1931). The excavated area belonged to the property of Gabriel Pettersson and is described as situated very close to the road to Halla, “200 m north of the shop, north of O.V. Olsson’s property, and south of H. Olsson’s property” (ibid.). The picture stone was discovered in grave 3/Juli 1930 (SHM 19853:3), which was 5.5 m in diameter with a big boulder in its centre, containing remains of a skeleton, horse teeth, and Viking Age burial objects such as two penannular brooches, a mount of a knife scabbard, a bearded axe, and a small disc of amber. The picture stone was lying in the southern part of the mound, under a boulder. Photos taken by Arne during the excavation, showing the stone on the grave mound, are kept in ATA (Fasta fornlämningar, Halla sn Gotland, Broa, photos 1337:48–49). After its discovery, the slab was kept at Olsson’s farmstead for some years (photo: ATA Run- och bildstensamling 1705:75). Lindqvist was not able to access any information about the find spot; he only noted that it has been delivered to SHM by Harald Hansson in 1933 (1941/42 II, p. 67).

Measurements, Material and Condition
“Limestone slab, about 5 cm thick, the root is up to 7 cm thick. The obverse above the root presumably hewn, but not even. The narrow sides in all probability hewn at right angles towards the obverse. Whether there existed a chamfer in between is now unclear. The reverse probably is unworked, but reasonably even. Total height 79.5 cm, about 50 cm of which above the root. The width between the […] corners is 35.5 cm, at the narrowest part of the body, it is 28.5 cm, at the base 33 cm” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 67). The small mushroom-shaped stone is completely preserved, including its massive root. The surface is weathered.

Description of Ornament and Images
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 dwarf stone to ʻAbschnittʼ B, dating between AD 500 and 700. The stone’s head is strongly convex, almost semi-circular, featuring corners which seem to be protruding horizontally. However, they are a bit abraded and rounded and thus difficult to specify. The body is almost rectangular, slightly widening towards the bottom. Another middle-type picture stone featuring a comparable outline is, for instance, GP 365 Stenkyrka kyrka IV.
GP 365 Stenkyrka kyrka IV

References
Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 67, fig. 398.

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