GP 542 Visby St Clemens

Context and Discovery
St Clemens is one of the largest and best-preserved ruins in the city of Visby. It was excavated between 1907 and 1909 by Emil Ekhoff (1912) and 1971–1972 by Per-Olof Westlund (Bohrn/Westlund 1977; see also Svahnström 1985, pp. 19–21; Lagerlöf/Svahnström 1991, pp. 50–52 and Andrén 2011, pp. 104–105). Ekhoff concludes that four churches could be observed, one upon the other – the current building and three predecessors, while Westlund assumes only two older church buildings beneath the current ruin: Clemens I was probably one of the earliest stone-built churches in the city of Visby, finished around the middle of the 12th century, with a nave, an apsidal choir, and a tower. Around 1200, the choir of the first church was torn off, and a new and much taller choir with lateral extensions (sacristy), as well as an annex north of the nave (warehouse) were erected. This phase is called Clemens II. Around the middle of the 13th century, the building was completely torn down and replaced by a much larger, three-naved, domed church with tower, porch, and rectangular choir with lateral annexes. This is the current building, Clemens III.

The picture stone was discovered by Ekhoff inside the northern aisle of the current church building (Clemens III), under the floor filling, between the northern wall of the nave of the first church (Clemens I) and the wall of the northern annex belonging to the second church (Clemens II). It was lying flat on its back, very close to the outer wall of Clemens I, with its obverse facing upwards. According to Ekhoff, it lay at the level of the two earlier churches, which means on the churchyard of Clemens I/II, however, “[…] with its upper edge slightly on top of the projecting foundation stones of the wall” (1912, p. 160). If this is true, the stone must have found its final resting place after or during the erection of Clemens I and before the erection of Clemens III.

Ekhoff (ibid.) takes the view that the picture stone was erected on the churchyard of Clemens I/II, as a Christian monument, which is more than unlikely, as it does definitely date before AD 1000 (see IX). For this reason, Lindqvist (1941/42 II, p. 145) prefers another suggestion brought up by Ekhoff (ibid.), that the monument was already standing on this spot before the first church had been built. In this case, the picture stone could indicate a pagan cult place, which had been replaced by the first church (Lagerlöf/Svahnström 1991, p. 52). A third possibility, however, is not less plausible, considering the fact that the stone’s upper edge lay slightly on top of the foundation stones of Clemens I/II: The picture stone had perhaps been transported to the construction site in order to be re-used as building material but was actually not used for this purpose and simply left at the spot (Ekhoff 1912, p. 21). It is also possible, however, that the stone was utilized in some way during the building work, maybe as a support for scaffolding during the construction of the nave (as in the case of GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV [A], which was turned into a support of scaffolding during the construction of the choir and afterwards simply left there and ‘buried’ beneath the floor).
GP 350 Sanda kyrka IV

Measurements, Material and Condition
“Limestone slab, up to 16 cm thick. The obverse originally was naturally even and appears to have been corroded during the time the stone stood upright. The narrow sides are hewn at right angles to the obverse and chamfered towards the reverse. Height 144 cm; width of the head 75 cm, of the neck 65 cm, of the base 86 cm” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 145). In “Gotlands Bildsteine”, there is only a drawing of the stone by Olof Sörling from around 1910 (ibid. fig. 565). It depicts a mushroom-shaped picture stone, almost complete, but with its base and possible root missing. There is a long crack on the lower part of the head, as well as a fracture extending all the way through, which separates the lower third of the preserved slab, which bears the remains of a ship depiction (see VI), from its upper part. The stone seems to be broken into two pieces. As Ekhoff (1912, p. 161) stressed, the stone is much weathered; however, no traces of re-use can be seen; the surface is neither worn nor reworked in any way.

In the Statens Historiska Museum storage in Tumba, however, three fragments are recorded under the no. 14360. Strangely enough, only one of these stones seems to match Sörling’s drawing, namely the fragment representing the lower third of the stone. In the image collection of ATA, two stone fragments with the inventory number 14360 are documented but only one of them, again the lower third piece, is recognizable. As a result, the stone seems to be much more fragmented as can be seen on Sörling’s drawing and/or parts if it (in particular, the head) are missing.

Description of Ornament and Images
Of the figurative decoration, only some remains of a simple rhombic pattern have survived on the (broken-off) lower third of the slab, which represent a ship’s sail. On both sides of the lowermost part of the preserved picture stone, some vertical lines are discernable, representing the frame of a border decoration.

Interpretation of the Imagery
No interpretation

Type and Dating
The monument’s mushroom shape is clearly preserved. The corners of the somewhat elongated head are slightly pronounced. Considering this shape of the head and the position of the ship on the lowermost part of the picture stone, the monument can be ascribed to Lindqvist’s ʻAbschnittʼ C, hardly to D or E, and roughly dated to between the 8th century (or around AD 800) and the 10th century. According to Rundkvist’s typology (2012, p. 160), the stone belongs to the outline type ʻtall4ʼ, which he dates to the Middle Viking Period.

Since the chronology of the Gotlandic picture stone had not yet been investigated, Ekhoff (1912, p. 161) believed that the stone could have been erected on the 12th-century churchyard (Clemens I), representing a Christian monument. According to Hamner/Widéen (1940, p. 53), it dates to the 11th century, which is also very unlikely. This dating, however, can still be found in Lagerlöf/Svahnström 1991 (p. 52).

References
Ekhoff 1912, pp. 160–161, fig. 15, 118; Hamner/Widée 1940, pp. 14–15, 53 no. 427; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 145, fig. 565; Bohrn/Westlund 1977, p. 177; Lagerlöf/Svahnström 1991, p. 52.

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