Parish Find Location 
Stenkumla

Find Location 
Re-used as bridge over a creek close to the farmstead ʻForsa gårdʼ (also spelled ʻForsʼ) in Stenkumla parish.

Find Context Classification 
Bridge

Parish Present Location 
Stenkumla

Present Location 
Re-erected about 100 m north-east of the farmstead.

Present Location Classification 
Private Property

Coordinate Present Location (lat) 
6384568

Coordinate Present Location (long) 
693241

Material 
Limestone

Height 
300

Width 
156

Thickness 
25

Lindqvist Type 
C/D (ca. 700-1000)

Lindqvist Shape 
Tall stone

Iconographic Keywords 
sail 
ship 
mast 

Runic Inscription or not 
No

Context and Discovery 
Based on the reports kept in ATA (dnr 2623/26; 4782/26; 1035/27), Lindqvist summarizes as follows (1941/42 II, p. 114): “This stone first became known in 1918. At that time, it was serving, with the obverse facing downwards, as a bridge across a stream 30 m south of the place where in 1926 it was erected, at the behest of the National Antiquarian, with the obverse facing west, 100 m northeast of the residential house.” Stenkumla Forsa I was erected circa 40 m away from the creek, about 150 m north-northwest of GP 364 Stenkumla Forsa II, which was placed on a grave field after its discovery. Both stones have been erected in 1926 on behalf of Ture Carlsson. A photo taken by J. Nihlén in 1925 depicts the slab in its former function as bridge (ATA Run- och bildstenssamling 734:24; dnr 2623/26).

Lindqvist assumes that GP 363 Stenkumla Forsa I and GP 364 Stenkumla Forsa II originally belonged together, forming one monument, and commissioned by one and the same person (ibid. I, p. 53). Of course, this assumption cannot be verified.
GP 364 Stenkumla Forsa II

Measurements, Material and Condition 
The picture stone is made of grey limestone; it is undamaged and its mushroom shape is perfectly preserved. Lindqvist (1941/42 II, p. 114) describes it as follows: “Limestone slab, 25 cm thick. Both broad sides are even. The narrow sides are rounded, commonly towards the reverse. The slab’s total height it 3 m, of which 2.5 m are visible above ground today. The height of the head is 90 cm, its width is 130 cm, the width of the neck is 120 cm, and that of the base 156 cm.” The stone is still standing at the place where it was re-erected in 1926, solidly anchored in the ground with cement. In 2006, conversation measures were taken by the foundation Byggnadshyttan på Gotland (report no. 431-171-06, written by R. Kettunen, kept in ATA Go Stenkumla sn: Socken). The stone had been almost completely overgrown with lichens and parts of the surface exfoliated and started to spall. The stone was cleaned and the vulnerable areas were fixed. The carvings were traced with paint in 1927 and again by Lindqvist in the 1930s. Today, however, no paint is visible anymore. The carvings are very difficult to discern today due to heavy weathering.

Description of Ornament and Images 
“The decoration appears to have been executed with great care and a sense for a clear composition […]. Unfortunately, the stone’s surface is severely damaged by weathering. The unusually densely spaced horizontal lines in the sail as well as the inner limits of the framing, however, emerge very clearly, most notably in the lower panel, which contained only one image, namely that of a ship in a slightly chiseled background field. The planking of the hull and its rounded stems seems to be designated by four lines between railing and keel. The sailcloth is framed by a narrow border and probably features diagonal lines that are placed denser than its horizontal lines. They are interrupted by the mast and at least one stay running towards the right stem. Waves do not appear to have been indicated under the ship. Of the borders’ patterns, the three-strand interlace on the body’s right side and the four-strand interlace in the lower horizontal border are safely established” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 114).

The images described above, which are very difficult to verify today, are visible in the photo of the painted stone taken by Harald Faith-Ell in the 1930s and published by Lindqvist in 1941/42 (II, fig. 496). Some earlier photographs, taken by Ture Carlsson in 1927 (ATA dnr 1035/27), however, only depict certain parts of the borders’ frame and the ship’s sail. A drawing made by Olof Sörling around 1910 depicts no carvings at all (ATA Run- och bildstenssamling).

Interpretation of the Imagery 
No interpretation

Type and Dating 
Tall mushroom-shaped late-type picture stone, belonging to ʻAbschnittʼ C according to Lindqvist (1941/42 I, p. 44). Lindqvist dates those stones to the time around AD 700. Current research, however, tends to date them roughly between the 8th century (or rather around AD 800) and the 10th century. According to Martin Rundkvist’s (2012) typology, the stone’s shape represents Type tall3, which occurs in his periods 5 (Early Viking Period), and 7 (Late Viking Period). According to Vareniusʼ (1992, appendix 2), the ship, which features a simple rectangular sail without depicted rigging, belongs to his group II (Skepp med enkel rigg), dating to the 7th to 9th century.

References 
Lindqvist 1941/42 I, pp. 44, 53; II, pp. 114, fig. 496–497; Varenius 1992, pp. 63, 70, fig. 32.

 
Fyndplats
Bildstenen nämns första gången 1918, då den tjänade som bro över en liten bäck nära gården Forsa. Restes 1926 30 meter söder om fyndplatsen, 100 meter nordost om boingshuset.

Nuvarande lokalisering
Samma som 1926

Beskrivning
Stor svampformig bildsten (period CD), 3 m hög och största bredd 130 cm. Stenen är mycket vittrad, men spår finns av ett stort skepp med segel i den nedre delen av stenen.

Datering
Kan inte dateras med säkerhet, men tillhör perioden 500-600-talen.

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning.

AA

Title
GP 363 Stenkumla Forsa I

Fornsök ID 
L1976:9936

RAÄ ID 
Stenkumla 67:1

Jan Peder Lamm ID 
227

Lindqvist Title 
Stenkumla, Forsa I

ATA
K-Samsök