Parish Find Location 
Väskinde

Find Location 
Re-used in the construction of a bridge in the area of Björkome, Väskinde (also ʻVästkindeʼ) parish (RAÄ Väskinde 168:1).

Find Context Classification 
Bridge

Coordinate Find Location (lat) 
6398427

Coordinate Find Location (long) 
704140

Present Location 
In situ or moved to Gotlands Museum. Currently untraceable/lost.

Present Location Classification 
Unknown

Coordinate Present Location (lat) 
6398427

Coordinate Present Location (long) 
704140

Material 
Limestone

Height 
270

Thickness 
20

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

Lindqvist Shape 
Tall stone

Runic Inscription or not 
No

Context and Discovery 
Lindqvist reports the find circumstances as follows (1941/42 II, p. 143): “This stone was encountered, with its obverse upwards, as a lintel stone in the northern corner of the culvert under the ‘Malmsbro’ bridge that in the area of Björkome carried the so-called ‘prästväg’ (priest’s way) (between the churches of Väskinde and Bro) over a stream, not quite 300 m southeast of the place where the same stream passes under ‘stenbro’ bridge [were GP 556 Väskinde Björkome I has been found]. The stone was reported in 1883 by the workman Lars Kollberg.” Lindqvist (ibid.) notes that the stone was still in situ at his time but poorly accessible. During the 1976 and 2004 inventories, however, neither the stone nor the bridge could be rediscovered. Possibly it was moved to Visby. However, the picture stone is still untraceable and appears to be lost. Lindqvist only provides a simple drawing of the stone made by Olof Sörling in 1918, when the slab apparently was easier to examine (ibid. fig. 563). There are no further pictures of the monument kept in ATA.
GP 556 Väskinde Björkome I

Measurements, Material and Condition 
“Limestone slab, 18–20 cm thick. The obverse is smooth, the stone’s upper end faces north and is uneven and probably worked secondarily. The reverse is rough and unworked. The stone’s total length is 2.7 m” (Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 143).

Description of Ornament and Images 
There are no traces of carvings discernable in Sörling’s sketch-like drawing. The stone itself apparently was not examined by Lindqvist himself and is not traceable today.

Interpretation of the Imagery 
No interpretation

Type and Dating 
Tall mushroom-shaped late-type picture stone, belonging to ʻAbschnittʼ C/D or E according to Lindqvist’s typology (1941/42 I, p. 44). If there is no decoration left, such monuments can only be roughly dated to the period between the 8th century and around AD 1100.

References 
Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 143, fig. 563.

 
Fyndplats
Påträffades 1883 såsom en brosten över en bäck på ägorna tillhörande gården Björkome.

Nuvarande lokalisering
Okänd. Fyndplatsen kan inte lokaliseras.

Beskrivning
Stor svampformig bildsten (period CD eller E), 270 cm hög. Inga bilder noterade.

Datering
Dateringen oklar, men tillhör perioden 700-1000-talen.

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning.

AA

Title
GP 550 Väskinde Björkome II

Fornsök ID 
L1976:6329

RAÄ ID 
Väskinde 168:1

Jan Peder Lamm ID 
336

Lindqvist Title 
Västkinde, Björkome II

ATA
K-Samsök