Parish Find Location 
Tingstäde

Find Location 
Tingstäde church

Find Context Classification 
Church

Coordinate Find Location (lat) 
6405101

Coordinate Find Location (long) 
715187

Parish Present Location 
Tingstäde

Present Location 
Inside the church, re-used in the floor of the choir.

Present Location Classification 
Church
In-Loco

Coordinate Present Location (lat) 
6405101

Coordinate Present Location (long) 
715187

Material 
Limestone

Height 
84

Width 
37

Lindqvist Type 
C/D (ca. 700-1000)

Lindqvist Shape 
Tall stone
Unclear

Runic Inscription or not 
No

Context and Discovery 
The fragment was discovered in the floor of the choir by Beata Böttger-Niedenzu in 1984, together with GP 507 Tingstäde kyrka 21 and GP 509 Tingstäde kyrka 23. She found another fragment, GP 494 Tingstäde kyrka 24, at the churchyard. In 1982, Böttger-Niedenzu 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. Tingstäde kyrka 22 is embedded in the floor just behind the altar, between the altar and the eastern wall of the choir, bordering the fragment Tingstäde kyrka 23, which is placed north of it. There are also two medieval grave slabs embedded in the floor of the choir, one with a carved cross and one with a Latin inscription from 1344.

The first Romanesque building with a nave and an apsidal choir was erected during the 12th century. In the beginning of the 13th century, the nave was enlarged, and around the middle of the century the old choir was replaced by the present one. The Romanesque portal which today leads to the sacristy probably represents the choir portal of the 12th century church which was re-used in the new building.

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; two more stones, which are incorporated into the wall of the tower, were discovered between 1990 and 2002 (GP 497–498 Tingstäde kyrka 25–26).
GP 507 Tingstäde kyrka 21
GP 509 Tingstäde kyrka 23
GP 494 Tingstäde kyrka 24
GP 497 Tingstäde kyrka 25
GP 498 Tingstäde kyrka 26

Measurements, Material and Condition 
The picture stone has been trimmed to roughly a rectangular shape, about 0.84 m in length and 0.37 m maximum width. The limestone is dark grey and even black in some areas of the most northern part of the slab, where a large black depression and a crack also can be seen. The surface is relatively even and greatly worn by footsteps.

Description of Ornament and Images 
Remains of the carved background plane of a typical bas-relief are discernable at some points. A band formed by a simple double line appears to be running along the north-facing irregular long side of the slab. It is only fragmentarily preserved. However, including some carved lines branching from it, this band can be regarded as indicating an interlaced border.

Interpretation of the Imagery 
No interpretation

Type and Dating 
The bas-relief, the possible border decoration and the dimensions indicate a picture stone of Lindqvist’s ʻAbschnittʼ C/D (less probably a Type E stone), which means that the fragment dates to the 8th century or between around AD 800 and 1000.

References 
Böttger-Niedenzu 1988, p. 14.

 
Fyndplats
Bildstenen påträffades 1984, som en del av golvet i kyrkans kor.

Nuvarande lokalisering
Samma plats som 1984.

Beskrivning
Tillhugget fragment av en troligen svampformig bildsten (typ C-D), 84 x 37 cm, med kantdekor.

Datering
Dateringen kan inte anges närmare, men den tillhör perioden 700-900-talen.

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning.

AA

Title
GP 508 Tingstäde kyrka 22

RAÄ ID 
142

Jan Peder Lamm ID 
428

ATA