GP 165 Halla Broa XVII

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, 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 necropolis, however, remains still uncertain.

The oldest investigated burials can be dated to the Roman Iron Age, with some unexcavated stone settings 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 containing fragments of ring-swords as well as a Vendel helmet (Nerman 1969–1975 I:1, p. 29; II, fig. 601) are to be mentioned.

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 necropolis 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.

The find spot of Halla Broa XVII was inspected by Henrik Alm in 1923. According to Alm’s report (ATA dnr 2560:10), the picture stone fragment originates from a stone mound on the property of Otto Engström (grave 1/1923) (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 67; Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:1, p. 331; Rundkvist 2012, p. 153 cat. no. 14). The spot lies north-west of the intersection between the road to Viklau and the railway line, in an area called ʻBrandenʼ, where several other picture stones were found. Five grave mounds were situated here, side by side, right along the fence to the railway embankment. The mound in the middle (i.e., grave 1/1923) had been looted and was only visible in shape of a 3 m long trench when Alm inspected the place. A pile of limestone slabs originating from this destroyed grave was situated next to the mounds. Furthermore, some slabs of the grave cist had been re-used as foundation stones of a henhouse a few metres next to the spot. One of the cist slabs, the picture stone fragment, however, was kept by the looter. The burial contained a penannular bronze brooch as well as a broad-axe, which was found in the earth layer above the cist, just below the surface (SHM 17391). The finds can be dated to the 11th century.

Measurements, Material and Condition
“The fragment includes the larger part of the root as well as the lower part of the picture stone’s body that tapered towards the bottom. Both broad sides are rough and uneven […], the narrow sides are hewn at right angles towards them. Along the right edge of the decorated broad side, there probably is a chamfer that is intentional and 1 cm wide, on the left side, it is absent. The total height is 52 cm, of which 32 cm are above the lower edge of the decoration, where the width is 31 cm. 20 cm further up, the width is 32 cm” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 67). The limestone slab is 7 cm thick. The decorated surface is in relatively good condition and not much weathered. At least when applying oblique light, the carvings are easily discernible.

Description of Ornament and Images
“The decoration, which is limited to one broad side, consists of shallow, fairly wide grooves with rounded or wedge-shaped profile. The background field is chiselled – at least for the most part. Slightly more than 4 cm wide framing borders and horizontal borders with a simplified twisted cord pattern within double framing lines surround the lower panel, which contains two raised figures of water birds, facing each other. The insignificant remains of the upper panel do not allow any safe conclusions regarding decoration that once may have been depicted there” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 67). The raised bird figures and the border decoration are discernible on the unpainted photo of the stone (ibid. fig. 400; ATA 550:65; 1750:69b). A painted version does not exist.

Interpretation of the Imagery
There are at least ten Type B picture stones with images of single aquatic birds or antithetic pairs of waterfowl known so far (see IX). More information about the possible origin of this motif in Christian iconography and its interpretation in a pre-Christian Scandinavian context, in particular concerning eschatological beliefs and ideas of the afterlife journey, see GP 276 När Rikvide I. Regarding Christian influence on the imagery of ʻAbschnittʼ B see also GP 551 Väskinde Butter and GP 274 Norrlanda Bringes.
GP 276 När Rikvide (I)
GP 551 Väskinde Butter
GP 274 Norrlanda Bringes

Type and Dating
Middle-type picture stone, i.e., Type B according to Lindqvist, dating to between AD 500 and 700. Due to the stone’s fragmentary state of preservation, it cannot be assigned to any subgroup. However, depictions of aquatic birds in the lower field and a border decoration consisting of a simple step pattern (simplified twisted cord) are main characteristics of Lindqvist’s Stenstugruppe (1941/42 I, pp. 37–38). The currently known Type B monuments featuring single or pairs of aquatic birds are the following: GP 142 Halla Broa VII, GP 165 Halla Broa XVII, GP 129 Hablingbo Stenstu, GP 276 När Rikvide I, GP 277 När Rikvide 2, GP 10 Alva St. Ringome, GP 96 Garda Smiss I, GP 274 Norrlanda Bringes, GP 200 Hemse Lindvide, and the Type B dwarf stone found in Grobin, Latvia (Petrenko 1991; Lamm 1991; Lamm/Nylén 2003, pp. 210–211).
GP 142 Halla Broa VII
GP 165 Halla Broa XVII
GP 129 Hablingbo Stenstu
GP 276 När Rikvide (I)
GP 277 När Rikvide 2
GP 10 Alva St. Ringome
GP 96 Garda Smiss I
GP 274 Norrlanda Bringes
GP 200 Hemse Lindvide

References
Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 67, fig. 400; Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:1, p. 331; Rundkvist 2012, p. 153 cat. no. 14; Oehrl 2019a, pp. 88–89, 168, pls. 49a–d, 57a–d.

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