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Country: |
Denmark |
Locality: |
Blåholt, Olsker |
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Region: |
Bornholm |
Area: |
Nørre |
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Environment & Surface |
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Open-air
Shelter
Cave
Portable
Megalithic
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Geography: |
The locality of Blåholt is situated on a small meadow-like plateau in open arable land, about100 m from the farm Blåholts Huse. The rock is oriented towards SE-S. |
Proximity: |
The sea is visible from the locality with a very good view over the surrounding landscape. |
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Geology: |
Granite |
Surface: |
Flat and smooth rock surface, light in color. |
Dimensions:
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Length 1.36 m.
Width 1.85 m.
Depth 0.02 m.
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Art |
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Description: |
Engravings
Paintings
Painted engravings
High or low-relief
Sculpture
The engraved area is 1.36 x 1.85 m and the total number of figures are 18. There are 2 wheel-crosses, one circular design, 6 cup-marks only one or two millimetres deep. The ship figures are all of the Bornholm type, double-lined with extended prows turned up- and inwards. There are vertical lines in the hulls. The largest ship is 82 cm long, with a bowed, obscure figure with a cup-mark, interpreted as a human figure by Glob in 1969. On one of the middle-size ships there are a human figure standing on the deck, probably holding a lur.
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Figures: |
total number 18
8 ship figures
2 wheel crosses
6 cup marks
1 circular design
1 obscure figure
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Chronology: |
Palaeolithic
Epipalaeolithic - Mesolithic
Neolithic
Copper Age
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Roman
Middle Age
Modern
Unknown
The relative dating of the rock carvings of Bornholm are that they belong to the Bronze Age, c. 1800-500 BC. In a few cases finds dated to the Bronze Age have been made very close to the rock carving locality and also comparative analyses of style in the ship figures suggests a Bronze Age dating. The carvings are also found along the right level above the sea during this period. The wheel in Danish petroglyphs dates from the Late Neolithic and the earliest Bronze Age, and has a continuing existence through the Iron Age on metal objects and pottery. Analogies can be found between devices on metal objects of the Early Bronze Age and petroglyphic wheels, for example between a stone from Skallerup with a cup-mark between the spokes and the pommel of an early bronze dagger. The ship figure is portrayed as early as the beginning of the Early Bronze Age, engraved on a curved sword. As a petroglyph it probably appears as early as Period II, continuing up to and including Period V. When it occurs in graves, it can be absolutely dated and can symbolise a death ship.
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Notes: |
The engravings are well preserved, painted in red colour. Some of the figures are not visible because the colour has disappeared. |
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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: |
Damage to the environment including weathering of the rock surface have been in the full blaze of publicity for a long time. The condition of the rock carvings of Bornholm are as on many other places are drastically growing worse. The cause is to be found in the changes of environment created by man, environmental pollution. Essential accelerating elements of weathering are acid rain, humic acid created in scientifically managed forests, and changes of the flora, lichen and moss. The Blåholt locality are occasionally cowered by earth and grass. |
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Conservation: |
Good
Quite good
Mediocre
Bad
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Intervention: |
Occasionally the engraved surface are partially covered by ground and grass, which are removed when necessary. The rock has been completely recorded (contact tracing, grazing light pictures) by Bornholms Museer in 1964. A fence has been put up to keep out grazing animals. |
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By |
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Record n. 2 / 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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