Picture stones from Änge
The picture stones from Änge in Buttle are immediately south of the Änge farm on the Swedish island of Gotland .
description
The Stones of type 3 (built n. Chr 700-1100.) Are in their original positions (like the Stones Bro Stainkällingar ), which is the case for only a few. One is Gotland's largest completely preserved picture stone with a height of 3.7 m. Older land survey maps show that the stones are on one of the main routes across the Lojsta Heath. It led from Buttle via Änge, the last farm before the heath, in a southerly direction to Etelhem. This is important because it gives an indication of the age of the Ängehof and the route.
The face of the stones was facing the prehistoric path, which is recognizable in the area a good 100 m to the northeast and southwest of the Ängehof. The remains of a grave box were discovered near the stones , the sides of which were decorated with images of animals and a border with a ribbon pattern. They are in the Gotlands Fornsal County Museum in Visby .
The smaller stone was never given a carved relief. If he had a representation, it must have been painted on. The larger stone, on the other hand, shows faded traces of a carved relief. In front of a border with a ribbon pattern, the upper part is divided into four fields; the figures include, among other things, walking men. The lower part is structured in the same way. Here you can see a small boat, a rider and at the bottom a large ship sailing on the troubled sea.
Nearby
The area around the Ängehof is rich in prehistoric evidence. About 200 m to the northeast, in the midst of the pastureland, there are three house foundations from the older Iron Age. In the northwest there is a similar group of house foundations as well as an area with prehistoric fields. If you follow the Viking Age path to the southwest, after about 300 m you will pass a large burial ground with about 90 graves.
literature
- Erik Nylén , Jan Peder Lamm: Picture stones on Gotland. Wachholtz, Neumünster 1981 (2nd edition 1991), ISBN 3-529-01823-6 .
Web links
- The picture stones Änge on Grosssteingraeber.de
Coordinates: 57 ° 12 ′ 50.3 " N , 18 ° 20 ′ 50.8" E