Cecilia Ljung (Stockholm): "Perceptions of a near and distant past: the reuse of picture stones in Medieval Churches on Gotland".

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Perceptions of a near and distant past: the reuse of picture stones in Medieval Churches on Gotland

Picture stones were erected on Gotland for almost a millennium: at least from the Migration period until the early Middle Ages (c. 400-1100 AD). The imagery of the monuments, their shapes and uses changed over time, and by the late 11th century the picture-stone tradition, with its deep roots in pagan society, was transferred into a Christian context. Yet, interaction with this type of carved stone monument did not cease with the end of their production, but continued during the medieval period, and sometimes later, primarily through reuse in stone churches. 
 
Today more than 600 picture stones are known, ranging from small fragments to monuments several meters tall. Around fifty percent of the material has been found in church buildings. However, the reuse of picture stones has attracted little scholarly interest and simplistic models dominate. Either reuse is given a practical explanation, where picture stones are seen as readily available building material, or a symbolic interpretation, either with positive connotations, as a way of reconnecting with the past, or as a negative act of condemnation, showing the superiority of the Christian faith. In this presentation I will explore the reuse of picture stones and its different trajectories in time based on a detailed on-site study of their find contexts in churches. It considers aspects of visibility, accessibility, fragmentation, wear, and spatial relations to architecture and other types of spolia.