Parish Find Location 
Stenkyrka

Find Location 
In a meadow (grave field?) near Smiss farm in Stenkyrka parish.

Find Context Classification 
Private Property
Grave-field

Present Location Classification 
Gotlands Museum Magasin Visborg

Coordinate Present Location (lat) 
6390259

Coordinate Present Location (long) 
695514

Material 
Limestone

Height 
103

Width 
45

Thickness 
9

Lindqvist Type 
C/D (ca. 700-1000)
E (ca. 1000-1150)

Lindqvist Shape 
Dwarf stone

Runic Inscription or not 
No

Secondary Inscription or Not 
Yes

Secondary Inscription
In 1910, the picture stone was re-used and prepared to serve as a signpost by carving a direction arrow and the following inscription on its obverse. These carvings fill the entire surface of the picture stone, with the arrow at the top of the head. The inscription is only shallowly carved, mainly in italics, and does not appear to be very carefully executed:

AK on Smiss 1/8 mat 1910

Context and Discovery 
The only available information about the find circumstances is given by Lindqvist: “This stone was found shortly after the discovery of [GP 397 Stenkyrka Smiss] I [which was found in 1863] during the cultivation of a meadow just south of the farm of Nils Classon. Beside the stone, an about 1 m long stone cist with unburnt human bones is said to have been observed” (1941/42 II, pp. 129). According to further information in the archives of Gotlands Fornsal, the meadow was situated 500 m south-west of the farm and the picture stone is said to have been located (standing?) on a small circular stone setting (röse) (cist). There is no known burial ground in Smiss, only two circular stone settings about 100 to 200 m south of the farmstead are registered (RAÄ Stenkyrka 99:1 and probably 99:3).
GP0397

Measurements, Material and Condition 
The mushroom-shaped monument is completely preserved, including the root. “Limestone slab, 9 cm thick. The obverse is naturally even, the narrow sides are rounded towards the back. The reverse is raw. The total height is 103 cm, of which 75 cm are accounted for by the part above ground. The head is 39 cm wide, the neck 29 cm, and the base 45 cm. No traces of the original decoration survive” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, pp. 129–130). In 1910, the picture stone was re-used as a signpost and an inscription was carved on its obverse (see VIII). The only picture of the monument published so far is a sketch-like drawing in Lindqvist’s book, which does not depict the recent carvings (ibid. fig. 530).

Description of Ornament and Images 
No remains of the original decoration are preserved; the surface is completely smooth and looks as if it was polished or never decorated.

Interpretation of the Imagery 
No interpretation

Type and Dating 
Mushroom-shaped late-type ʻdwarf stoneʼ, which means Lindqvist’s ʻAbschnittʼ C/D or E (Lindqvist 1941/42 I, p. 44). Those stones, if no remains of decoration remain and the surface has even been reworked, can only be roughly dated between the 8th century and about AD 1100.

References 
Lindqvist 1941/42 II, pp. 129–130, fig. 530; Thunmark-Nylén 1995–2006 IV:2, p. 669.

 
Fyndplats
Bildsten påträffades kort efter 1863 vid uppodling av ett änge 500 meter söder om gården Smiss. Bredvid stenen påträffades också en stenkista med ett skelett.

Nuvarande lokalisering
Gotlands museums magasin i Visborgsslätt

Beskrivning
Svampformad dvärgsten (period C/D) 103 cm hög och som bredast 45 cm. Inga spår av dekor påträffade.

Inskrift
En sekundär inskrift lyder : AK on Smiss 1/8 mat 1910

Datering
Kan inte dateras med säkerhet, men tillhör perioden cirka 700-900-talen.

Tolkning
Ingen klar tolkning.

AA

Title
GP 398 Stenkyrka Smiss II

Gotlands Museum ID 
GFC1842

Jan Peder Lamm ID 
296

Lindqvist Title 
Stenkyrka, Smiss II

ATA

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