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Country: |
Denmark |
Locality: |
Lille Strandbygård I, Nylars |
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Region: |
Bornholm |
Area: |
Vester |
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Environment & Surface |
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Open-air
Shelter
Cave
Portable
Megalithic
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Geography: |
The locality of Lilla Strandbygård I is situated in open land, in a EW direction. The rock surface is very flat, hidden in the grass. Grazing area. |
Proximity: |
The sea is visible from the locality with a very good view over the surrounding area with roads and paths crossing the landscape. |
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Geology: |
Sandstone. |
Surface: |
Flat but coarse surface. |
Dimensions:
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Length 1.20 m.
Width 1.00 m.
Depth 0.70 m.
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Art |
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Description: |
Engravings
Paintings
Painted engravings
High or low-relief
Sculpture
Rock surface with a total number of 59 engraved figures. There are 50 very distinct cup marks, and 9 wheel-crosses of different size. The larger wheel-crosses are very distinct, but the smaller are quite hard to discover, they can only be identified in darkness when holding a torch in an oblique angle or at sun-set, when the light comes in from the side. In a line over the middle part of the rock surface there are three big wheel crosses, where the eastern one has a double ring and two horn-like protuberations ending in cup marks. One of those are ending abruptly far away from the wheel-cross because of exfoliation. Two of the other wheels also have horn-like protuberations. Other wheel-crosses, a couple of half-bows and c. 50 cup-marks where four are forming a cross-like figure are surrounding the three larger wheel-crosses.
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Figures: |
total number 59
9 wheel crosses
50 cup marks
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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.
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Notes: |
After the cup-mark, the wheel is the most common Danish rock carving symbol, displayed on about half of the pictorial stones. The usual interpretation of the wheel is as a sun-symbol, and if correct, shows the prominent position of the sun-cult in Early Bronze Age religion, since a very large number of wheels, both chased in bronze and modelled in other media, supplemented by the engravings (Bröndstedt 1938 II). The sign occurs as early as the Middle Neolithic and as rock carving up to at least Period IV, when other ideas begin to encroach on the sun-cult (Glob 1969). The interpretation of the cup-mark as a fertility symbol is realistic, since the cup can be compared, in spite of its simple form, with similar signs from various religions where it is demonstrably connected with fertility cult (Glob 1969:305). |
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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, so called 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. Lilla Strandbygård I is situated in grazing land, with cows causing damage to the rock surface. |
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Conservation: |
Good
Quite good
Mediocre
Bad
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Intervention: |
Occasionally the rock surface are covered with earth and sand to prevent weathering. When there are animals causing damage, fences have being put up around the carved area. |
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By |
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Record n. 4 / 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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