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Gotlandic Picture Stones - The Online Edition

GP 371 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs IX









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Parish Find Location ⓘ
Stenkyrka

Find Location ⓘ
The Lilla Bjärs necropolis in Stenkyrka parish, next to a stone mound.

Find Context Classification ⓘ
Grave-field

Coordinate Find Location (lat) ⓘ
6410855

Coordinate Find Location (long) ⓘ
710614

Present Location Classification ⓘ
SHM Storage

Coordinate Present Location (lat) ⓘ
6581391

Coordinate Present Location (long) ⓘ
675775

Material
Limestone

Height ⓘ
57

Width ⓘ
51

Thickness ⓘ
6

Lindqvist Type 

Lindqvist Shape 

Iconographic Keywords
 ⓘ 

Runic Inscription or not ⓘ
Unknown

Context and Discovery ⓘ
The cemetery of Lillbjärs (or Lilla Bjärs, sometimes just Bjärs, also as Bjers), in Stenkyrka parish is one of the largest and most important grave fields on Gotland (RAÄ Stenkyrka 26:1; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 118; Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 III:2, p. 627). It includes more than 1000 visible stone settings (rösen and other circular or almost circular stone mounds), as well as a ship-shaped stone setting from the Bronze Age (5 x 2.25 m), and a monumental (17 m in diameter) grave mound called ʻÄuglehaugʼ (or ʻUgglehaugʼ), which probably dates to the Migration Period. An old path of about 550 m leads through the entire area in an east-west direction. Many of the graves were robbed, only a small number have been excavated, including about a dozen dating to the Viking Period. Remarkable features of the stone mounds are a surrounding dry-stone wall consisting of several layers of limestone slabs, as well as the frequent occurrence of grave orbs (gravklot), erected stone slabs, and picture stones in the immediate context of the (Vendel or Viking Period) graves (ibid. pp. 582–583). Lindqvist published 19 picture stones from this grave field – GP 369–373, 377–381, 388–396, 429–431, 440 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs I–XIX.

“In November 1908, O. V. Wennersten reported in a letter to the National Antiquarian that a local, Emil Svensson in Tune, had discovered three picture stones on the ground belonging to Lillbjärs and taken custody of them. […] On this occasion, the antiquarian Emil Eckhoff visited the find place in the following summer and sent to SHM the stones [Stenkyrka Lillbjärs I–VI] as well as three fragments of another slab, which, however, did not clearly represent a picture stone. He also collected numerous grave orbs […]. In 1911, [Fredrik Nordin] visited the site and was given more information by Svensson about the find place and the circumstances of the discovery of the stones […]. When [Fredrik Nordin] returned in 1913 to conduct excavations, Svensson in the meantime had moved away, and unfortunately, it turned out to be impossible to locate all the find places described by him” (ibid.). Nordin excavated a number of stone settings in 1913 as well as in the following summer and discovered eight more picture stones in loco (Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VII–XIV). Between 1910 and 1912, three more picture stones were reported to Gotlands Museum by Svensson and moved to Visby where they are still kept today (Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XV–XVIII). Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XIX was found later, in 1927.

Most of the picture stones from Stenkyrka church presumably came from the Lillbjärs cemetery as well. Nevertheless, the stock of picture stones from this site can by no means have been recorded completely, and there is good reason to believe that this grave field in the future will provide even more discoveries (cf. Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 118).

The stones VII–IX were discovered by Fredrik Nordin during investigations conducted in 1913 and delivered to Statens Historiska Museum in 1914 (Fornvännen 1915, p. 30; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 118). The picture stone fragment Stenkyrka Lillbjärs IX was found next to grave mound no. 6 (ibid. fig. 508). It lay close to the southeast edge of the small stone mound, in which no finds were discovered (Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:2, p. 661). The mound featured a surrounding wall of limestone slabs and was about 2.4 m in diameter.
GP 369 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs IV
GP 370 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VII
GP 372 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XIII
GP 373 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XIX
GP 377 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIa
GP 378 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIb
GP 379 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIc
GP 380 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VId
GP 381 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIe
GP 388 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs I
GP 389 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs II
GP 390 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs III
GP 391 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs V
GP 392 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs VIII
GP 393 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XIV
GP 394 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XV
GP 395 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XVII
GP 396 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XVIII
GP 429 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XVI
GP 430 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XI
GP 431 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XII
GP 440 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs X

Measurements, Material and Condition ⓘ
The fragment represents the upper part of a small picture stone, probably its entire decorated part without the root. Lindqvist reproduces a photo of the unpainted stone and a photo of the painted stone (1941/42 I, fig. 63; II, fig. 518). The pictures were taken by H. Faith-Ell in 1933 and 1937, respectively (ATA 1718:27b; B3:89a). The preserved slab is broken almost vertically into two pieces, a left half and a right half. Furthermore, the left half of the stone is divided by a diagonal crack into an upper and a lower half. The latter crack, however, was not depicted by Sörling in his 1913 drawing of the stone (ATA, Run- och bildstenssamling), so it might have occurred later. Lindqvist describes as follows: “Limestone slab, 6 cm thick. The obverse is in parts quite smooth and perhaps hewn. The narrow sides are hewn at right angles towards the obverse and to a certain degree chamfered towards it. The reverse is rough and unworked. The stone is incompletely preserved to a height of 57 cm. Between the upper corners, the width is 51 cm, at the narrowest place further down, it is 45 cm” (ibid. II, p. 125). The surface of the stone is weathered.

“The great similarity regarding the border pattern (see VI) between this stone and [GP 395 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs] XVII suggests that both stones were executed by the same person. Considering the circumstances of the discoveries, the possibility may even be taken into consideration that the two stones originally were part of the same monument” (ibid.). According to Lindqvist, it turned out, however, that a cast made of GP 395 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XVII in Gotlands Fornsal did not match the fragment Stenkyrka Lillbjärs IX which is kept in SHM. “Therefore, I rather tend towards the opinion that No. IX never had a decorated field that was larger than that preserved today and therefore cannot have constituted the upper part of No. XVII. The part of the border that has the runes [see VIII] probably belonged to the root” (ibid.).
GP 395 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs XVII

Description of Ornament and Images ⓘ
According to Lindqvist’s painted version, the stone is framed by an 8 cm wide border which features an interlace pattern consisting of s-shaped elements with slightly chiselled background fields; “[…] in continuation of the pattern, there perhaps are in the lower right corner several indistinct runes” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 125). In the main field, there are only “indistinct contours of a horse” (ibid.) discernible. A drawing made by O. Sörling in 1913 (ATA, Run- och bildstenssamling), however, only depicts a very small part of the interlace pattern at the right edge of the slab, followed by rune-like carvings. The horse, which is clearly depicted by Lindqvist, was not considered by Sörling. Instead, he drew parts of a simple horizontal border, dividing the decorated surface into a very narrow upper and a larger lower panel. The horse and the border can be perfectly confirmed using the 3D model.

Interpretation of the Imagery ⓘ
No interpretation

Runic Context and Comments ⓘ
The structures referred to by Lindqvist as possible runes are actually recognisable on the original. On a small part of the edge border, in the lower right corner of the slab, in continuation of the interlace pattern, 5–7 vertical lines (staves?) of different length can be seen, however, no twigs are discernable with certainty. Both Sörling's drawing and Lindqvist's painting of the stone seem to indicate a few short twigs; Lindqvist even marks a symbol that resembles the u-rune. However, it cannot be verified that these weathered and rudimentary carvings are actually runes, even with the help of 3D technology.

Type and Dating ⓘ
The monument belongs to a small group of late-type picture stones (Type C according to Lindqvist) with slightly convex head and corners protruding at right angles to the body. Best examples are GP 185 Hejnum Rings, GP 37 Bro Eriks I, GP 45 Bro Eriks II, and GP 191 Hejnum Mallgårds 1 (and the Type E stone GP 32 Boge kyrka, which represents a palimpsest). This head shape corresponds to certain Type B ʻdwarf stonesʼ. Therefore, Lindqvist (ibid. p. 46) regards those Type C monuments as a “Hybridgruppe”, probably representing a phase of transition between ʻAbschnittʼ B and C. If this interpretation is correct, those monuments could be regarded as the earliest late-type picture stones, presumably dating to the 8th century or possibly around 700. This dating corresponds to the result of Martin Rundqvist (2012, p. 159), who assigns GP 185 Hejnum Rings to his typological group tall2, dating to the Late Vendel Period. Lisbeth Imer (2004, p. 106) dates the stone to the late 7th or early 8th century. Sonja Guber, however, regards the Lillbjärs stone as a Type B monument (2011, p. 57).
GP 185 Hejnum Rings
GP0037
GP0045
GP 191 Hejnum Mallgårds 1
GP 32 Boge kyrka

References ⓘ
Fornvännen 1915, p. 30; Lindqvist 1941/42 I, p. 46, fig. 63; II, p. 125, figs. 508, 518; Guber 2011, pp. 57, 147 cat. no. 76).

 ⓘ
Fyndplats
Bildstenen påträffades 1913 vid ett gravröse, vid grävningar på gravfältet Lillbjärs. Överlämnades till Statens Historiska Museum 1914.

Nuvarande lokalisering
Statens Historiska Museum, magasinet i Tumba

Beskrivning
Delvis bevarad hybrid ”dvärgsten” (period B-C), 57 cm hög och som bredast 51 cm. Bildstenen har en kantdekor och ett bildfält med möjligen konturerna av en häst.

Datering
Kan inte dateras med säkerhet, men tillhör perioden 700-talen.

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning

Inskrift
Möjligen spår av en runinskrift

AA

Title
GP 371 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs IX

Jan Peder Lamm ID
284

Statens Historiska Museer ID ⓘ
15227:6

Lindqvist Title ⓘ
Stenkyrka, Lillbjärs IX


Last modifed Jun 25, 2024

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Identifier: GP0371-3D
ID: 4902
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