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Country: |
Sweden |
Locality: |
Fossumtorp 1:7, raä 262 |
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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 c. 120 m W from Fossum Hageberget in a clearing in the woodland along the same ridge. |
Proximity: |
Close to the major locality of Fossum Hageberget and a number of other smaller rock carving panels in the vicinity. Close to road and arable land. |
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Geology: |
Granite. |
Surface: |
Sloping surface, convex with microflora. Partly weathered. |
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Art |
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Description: |
Engravings
Paintings
Painted engravings
High or low-relief
Sculpture
T-262 Fossumtorp 1:7 Balken is situated close to the major field of Fossum Hageberget. The surface is severely weathered and with microflora covering the figures. There are a total number of 177 figures.
There are 27 ship figures of which 24 have crew-strokes and 3 without crew-strokes. There are 16 human figures, 15 with sex (male), 1 with sex (female), 3 with body rounded, 13 with body not rounded, 10 with tool/weapon and 6 without tool/weapon.
There are 12 weapons depicted, 2 axes, 2 bow and arrow and 8 swords.
There are 6 animal figures, 3 horses, 1 deer, 1 bird and one ox.
The circle figures are 3 in number, of which two without cross and one with cross. There are 10 foot prints, 2 single and 8 couple. One tree figure and one other. Finally there are 102 cup marks.
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Figures: |
total number 177
27 ship figures
16 human figures
12 weapons
6 animal figures
3 circle figures
10 foot prints
1 tree
102 cup marks.
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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.
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Notes: |
The sun-horse at Balken have been known since 1881, published by Lauritz Baltzer. The image is usually interpreted as the horse pulling the sun across the sky, a major element in Bronze Age mythology. The interpretation is based on the find of the so called Trundholm-chariot, where a large gold-plated disc thought to represent the sun, is placed on a wagon drawn by a horse (Kaul 1998:13). |
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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.
The Balken panel is damaged by weathering and partly covered by microflora. |
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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. There is a descriptive sign post and the carving is cleared when necessary. |
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By |
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| Record n. 781 / 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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