GP 494 Tingstäde kyrka 24

Context and Discovery ⓘ
The fragment belongs to the group of stones discovered by Beata Böttger-Niedenzu. In 1982, she submitted her master’s thesis on Gotland’s picture stones to the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, and during the years 1981 to 1985, she visited the Gotlandic rural churches, discovering not fewer than 38 previously unknown picture stones, which she published in a brief catalogue in 1988. According to Böttger-Niedenzu (1988, p. 14), she found Tingstäde kyrka 24 in 1984 leaning against the outside of the northern churchyard wall. Her photo documentation kept at ATA, however, shows the fragment leaning against the wooden door of the lychgate (i.e., a roofed gateway at the entrance to the churchyard, Swedish stiglucka), which is placed in the northern churchyard wall. In 1985, as noted by Böttger-Niedenzu (ibid.), the stone was leaning against the western wall of the outer churchyard instead, together with other stone slabs and hidden by them. Nevertheless, when looking for it in June 2020, we found the stone leaning against the northern churchyard wall, right next to the lychgate. For protection, we moved it back under the lychgate.

In fact, however, the stone was found in 1944 while digging a cable trench in the churchyard. About one metre next to the corner between the northern nave wall and the west wall of the sacristy, an undated grave cist made of limestone slabs was found at a depth of 35 cm, containing a skeleton, head in the west. The picture stone fragment lay on the western cover slab of the cist (ATA Run- och bildstenssamling A93:214; report Gunnar Svanström RAÄ dnr 4265/44).

In total, not fewer than 26 picture stones from Tingstäde church are registered in Lamm/Nylén 2003 – The stones Tingstäde kyrka I–XX were published by Lindqvist; three stones were discovered by B. Böttger-Niedenzu in the flooring of the choir (GP 507–509 Tingstäde kyrka 21–23), and two more stones, which are incorporated into the wall of the tower, were found between 1990 and 2002 (GP 497–498 Tingstäde kyrka 25–26).
GP 507 Tingstäde kyrka 21
GP 508 Tingstäde kyrka 22
GP 509 Tingstäde kyrka 23
GP 497 Tingstäde kyrka 25
GP 498 Tingstäde kyrka 26

Measurements, Material and Condition ⓘ
The fragment represents approximately the right third of the head and neck of a large mushroom-shaped picture stone, which preserves the entire right edge with its typical outer contour, including a small part of the top of the head. This fragmentation results in an almost sickle-shaped stone piece. Its maximum height is about 1.17 m and its width ca. 0.80 m. When Böttger-Niedenzu registered the stone in 1984, its color was light grey, as can be seen from her photographs kept at ATA. Today, however, the material is very dark in color, almost black, with heavy lichen growth. The surface of the picture stone fragment is remarkably even, not to say perfectly flat. The stone is much weathered, but the carvings are of relatively high quality and therefore still discernable.

Description of Ornament and Images ⓘ
Two parallel bands formed by deeply carved double lines are clearly visible. They frame the border, which follows the outer contour of the picture stone. The border is 0.15 m wide and filled with interlace, which is partly discernable. Two horizontal bands in the neck area that frame a border which separates the stone’s head from its body are visible as well. Based on 3D documentation, further details have been discovered: Some figure-eight-shaped elements inside the horizontal border indicating a kind of interlace pattern and, remarkably enough, an almost perfectly executed triquetra symbol in the upper corner of the lower image panel. Different kinds of triple symbols are depicted frequently on the picture stones of Type C–E (Hellers 2012, pp. 57–76, fig. 10–14, pls. 1–11). More-or-less triquetra-like carvings, which are relatively easily comparable to the motif on the Tingstäde monument are depicted on GP 120 Grötlingbo Barshaldershed 6, GP 341 Sanda kyrka I and GP 244 Lokrume kyrka. Nevertheless, Tingstäde kyrka 24 is the only picture stone known so far depicting the triquetra in its traditional form.
GP0120
GP 341 Sanda kyrka I
GP 244 Lokrume kyrka

Interpretation of the Imagery ⓘ
The triquetra is a widespread decorative element in early medieval art, which in Christian contexts is mostly regarded as symbol of the Trinity (Traetteberg 1974; Moltke 1974). The possible meaning of triple symbols and more-or-less triquetra-like signs on the Gotland picture stones and in Viking art in general is discussed by Hellers 2012, pp. 100–186. See also GP 390 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs III.
GP 390 Stenkyrka Lillbjärs III

Type and Dating ⓘ
The shape and the ornament of the fragment (see VI) clearly indicate a late-type picture stone, which means Type C/D or possibly E according to Lindqvist’s typology. Thus, it dates to between the 8th and the 10th century, less probably to the 11th century.

References ⓘ
Böttger-Niedenzu 1988, p. 14.

mer grejer

Find Context

The Stone

Carvings

Detailed Information

Svensk sammanfattning

Identification

Links

Export

More media

Plane	Position	Flip