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Country: |
Sweden |
Locality: |
Kivik - Bredarör |
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Region: |
Skåne |
Area: |
Södra Mellby |
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Environment & Surface |
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Open-air
Shelter
Cave
Portable
Megalithic
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Geography: |
Cairn situated on a field at the Scanian East coast, overlooking the sea. Carved slabs found inside the cyst. |
Proximity: |
Close to the sea and the Kivik village. |
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Geology: |
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Surface: |
Carved slabs of stone, weathered surface. |
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Art |
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Description: |
Engravings
Paintings
Painted engravings
High or low-relief
Sculpture
Kivik tomb. The cairn has a diameter of 75 m, and is the largest grave-mound in Scandinavia. It encloses a monumental stone cyst of 8 figuratively carved slabs: horses, stylised axes, human figures, wheel crosses, a chariot are depicted. The figures have been pecked, although it is difficult to see because of the weathering. The carved slabs are each framed by a stylised decorative board, of some scholars thought to imitate edging on textile. 2 of the decorated slabs can be said to depict scenes, slab no 1 depicts a number of human figures arranged i different groups. Some are lined up in a row, dressed in cloak-like garments, others are grouped around a strange symbol, consisting of a pole with two circular designs connected by a u-shaped line. On slab no 2 there are a chariot drawn by a pair of horses with 1 human figure as driver, in front of the chariot there are 4 human figures in a row, and at the base of the slab there are a procession of 8 humans facing an adorant. There are a number of images which are exceptional in the South Scandinavian rock carving tradition, which makes the Kivik cairn one of the most remarkable archaeological monuments in Sweden.
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Figures: |
total number 66
Human figures
Chariot
Animal figures/horses
Wheel crosses
Axes
Ship figures
Coned hat figure
Lines/strokes
Weapons
A number of decorative patterns
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Chronology: |
Palaeolithic
Epipalaeolithic - Mesolithic
Neolithic
Copper Age
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Roman
Middle Age
Modern
Unknown
The Kivik cairn has been dated to the end of the Earlier Bronze Age, c. 1100 BC. The dating is based on finds in the grave, the graves character as big cairn and the style of the rock carvings on the slabs inside the grave.
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Notes: |
The framed pictures engraved on slabs in the Kivik tomb are amongst the most notable works of art from the Bronze Age. First, it is funerary art, and second, there is a remarkable stylisation about these pictures which clearly distinguishes them from the ordinary rock engravings (Burenhult 1989:24). |
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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: |
Some of the slabs are severely weathered, but are subject to continuous controls. |
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Conservation: |
Good
Quite good
Mediocre
Bad
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Intervention: |
The slabs have been placed in the reconstructed chamber of the grave, and there are descriptive sign-posts explaining the art. |
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By |
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| Record n. 780 / 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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