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Country: |
Sweden |
Locality: |
Tanum raä 255 |
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Region: |
Bohuslän |
Area: |
Tanum |
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Environment & Surface |
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Altitude:
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45 m
Open-air
Shelter
Cave
Portable
Megalithic
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Geography: |
Situated in the lower parts of a ridge facing SE, overlooking the fields. |
Proximity: |
Close to road and to other panels with carvings. |
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Geology: |
Granite. |
Surface: |
Smooth, slightly sloping surface. Natural cracks forming separate panels where the carvings have been made. |
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Art |
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Description: |
Engravings
Paintings
Painted engravings
High or low-relief
Sculpture
T-255 Fossum 1:2 Hageberget is one of the major localities in Bohuslän. The carved area is c. 25 square meters and consists of c. 130 figures carved in a very elegant technique. There are 26 ship figures, of which 2 have human figures, 21 have crew-strokes and 3 without crew. There are 34 human figures, 33 with sex (male), 1 with sex (female), 1 with round body, 33 with body not rounded, 31 with tool/weapon and 3 without tool/weapon. There are 43 weapons of which 2 are spears, 17 axes, 2 bow and arrow and 22 swords. There are 5 tools, of which 3 are hammers and 2 lures. There are 21 animal figures of which 2 are deers, 4 dogs, 2 oxen and 13 other. There are 3 circle figures, 1 without cross and 2 other. There are 7 foot prints, 1 single and 6 couple. Finally there are 92 cup marks and 1 other.
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Figures: |
26 ship figures
34 human figures
43 weapons
5 tools
21 animal figures
3 circle figures
7 foot prints
92 cup marks
1 obscure figure.
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Chronology: |
Palaeolithic
Epipalaeolithic - Mesolithic
Neolithic
Copper Age
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Roman
Middle Age
Modern
Unknown
The rock carvings of Southern Scandinavia are generally dated to the middle and later part of the Bronze Age, c. 1500-500 BC. Occasionally, more absolute dating of single panels or figures can be made, based on typological or stylistic features of the image, and by comparisons with identifiable objects.
The Fossum panel can be dated by the male human figures equipped with shields of so called "Hallstatt-type", to the Later Bronze Age c. 1000-500 BC.
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Notes: |
The Fossum panel were documented and registered already in 1868 by Brunius. The figures are kept within a fixed area, and the composition is strictly based on horizontal and vertical lines. Technique and drawing are uniform throughout the picture, and the Fossum panel are one of the most remarkable works in Prehistory. Note the image where a human figure is killing an animal, the female figure with long hair, the male figures with enlarged calves and the beautiful deers (after Bertilsson 1989:107). |
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Bibliography |
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Conservation |
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Status: |
Public
Private
Park
Classified site
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Risk: |
The major risk for rock carvings are chemical weathering, which makes the hard quartzite losen up and fall out, leaving white dots on the darker rock surface. Also natural weathering (mechanical weathering) during winter/spring, when water freeze in cracks and openings in the rock, creates major damage to rock faces with carvings. The biological weathering is also a danger to the rock carvings, and even to intense cleaning of the rock surface during documentation can make the rock fragile and expose the carvings to wind, water and air-born pollution. |
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Conservation: |
Good
Quite good
Mediocre
Bad
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Intervention: |
Problems concerning conservation and preservation, registration and documentation of rock carvings in Scandinavia are discussed by several departments, i.e. Riksantikvaren in Norway, Riksantikvarieämbetet in Sweden, several universities and research departments. Different methods are tested, for example covering of carved surfaces, measuring of temperature and different contents in water and air and also the composition in the granite. Hollows and cracks in the rock surface can be repaired and carefully filled in. An easy method of taking care of the rock surface is by ordinary sweeping. The Bronze Age environment has been restored by careful site management, mainly by clearing out pine-trees and the lower vegetation in order to create a more open and original environment. The carvings are painted and there is a descriptive sign post. |
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By |
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Record n. 785 / 807 |
No commercial use is allowed. Specific © is mentioned in the captions or owned by each Author or Institution |
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EuroPreArt, European Prehistoric Art, is a web-based archaeological project funded by the European Union which aims to establish a lasting data-base of European prehistoric art documentation, to launch the base of an European institutional network and to contribute to the awareness of the diversity and richness of European Prehistoric Art.
It is proposed by: Instituto Politécnico de Tomar (IPT, Portugal),
CUEBC - European University Centre for Cultural Heritage (Italy - Europe),
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España),
Asociación Cultural Colectivo Barbaón (España),
Université de Liège (Belgique),
Gotland University College (Sverige),
University College Dublin (Eire),
Cooperativa Archeologica Le Orme dell'Uomo (Italia),
Study Centre and Museum of Prehistoric Art of
Pinerolo (Italia),
The European Centre for Prehistoric Research in the Alto Ribatejo (Portugal),
ArqueoJovem - a youth NGO (Portugal).
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