Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T05:46:57.178Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Chariots of the Gods? Landscape and Imagery at Frännarp, Sweden

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

John Coles
John Coles
Affiliation:
Fursdon Mill Cottage, Thorverton, Devon EX5 5JS
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The rock carving at Frännarp has been known for a century and has been the subject of many reports, always concentrating upon the detailed representation of Bronze Age carts. A new recording of the site has revealed the existence of many faint carvings, including small carts, many discs, and also a number of paired animals for the well-known cart designs. Field surveys around the site show a dense concentration of burial and other monuments in the immediate area. The Frännarp site must have served as a special focus here and also for a wider cultural landscape, and a land-based route is identified which may have aided access from further afield.

Résumé

On connait depuis un siècle les gravures pariétales à Frännarp et elles ont fait l'objet de bien des rapports qui se sont toujours concentrés sur la représentation détaillée de chariots de l'âge du bronze. Un nouveau répertoire du site a révélé l'existence de nombreuses gravures peu visibles, qui comprennent de petits chariots, de nombreux disques ainsi qu'un nombre de paires d'animaux pour les célèbres motifs de chariots. Des campagnes de prospection autour du site ont révélé une forte concentration d'inhumations et autres monuments dans la vicinité immédiate. Le site de Frännarp doit avoir servi de point focal, ici, mais également pour un paysage culturel plus étendu, et on a identifié une voie terrestre qui peut en avoir facilité l'accès à ceux qui venaient de plus loin.

Resúmen

Los grabados en piedra de Frännarp han sido conocidos por más de un siglo y han sido tema de muchos artículos, siempre concentrados en la representación detallada de carros de la Edad del Bronce. Un nuevo análisis del yacimiento ha revelado la existencia de muchos grabados apenas visibles, que incluyen pequeños carros, muchos discos, y también un número de parejas de animales para el ya bien conocido diseño de carro. Análisis de la superficie del terreno alrededor del yacimiento han revelado una densa concentración de enterramientos y otros monumentos en las inmediaciones. El yacimiento de Frännarp debe haber actuado como un foco especial aquí y también para un paisaje cultural más amplio, y se ha identificado una ruta terrestre que puede haber facilitado el acceso desde zonas más distantes.

Zusammenfassung

Die Felsgravuren von Frännarp sind seit einem Jahrhundert bekannt und waren Gegenstand zahlreicher Berichte, die sich alle auf eine detaillierte Darstellung von bronzezeitlichen Wagen konzentrierten. Eine neue Aufnahme der Bilder hat die Existenz vieler verblasster Gravuren offenbart, einschließlich kleiner Wagen, vieler Scheiben, sowie einer Reihe paarweise auftretender Tiere für die bekannten Wagendarstellungen. Feldbegehungen rund um den Fundplatz zeigen eine dichte Konzentration von Gräbern und anderen Monumenten in unmittelbarer Nähe. Frännarp muss als besonderer Fokus gedient haben für diesen Ort, aber auch für eine größere Kulturlandschaft, und ein Landweg lässt sich feststellen, der den Zugang auch aus entfernteren Regionen ermöglicht haben kann.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 68 , 2002 , pp. 215 - 246
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Almgren, O. 1934. Nordische Felszeichnungen als religiösa Urkunden. FrankfurtGoogle Scholar
Althin, C-A. 1945. Studien zu den Bronzezeitlicben Felszeichnungen von Skåne. LundGoogle Scholar
Artelius, T. 1998. A Bronze Age perception of identity. Lund Archaeological Review 4, 37–48Google Scholar
Baltzer, L. 1881. Glyphes des Rochers du Bohuslän. GöteborgGoogle Scholar
Baudou, E. 1960. Die regionale und chronologische Einteilung der jüngeren Bronzezeit im Nordischen Kreis. Stockholm: Studies in North European Archaeology 1Google Scholar
Bengtsson, L.L. (ed.). 2000. Arkeologisk rapport 5. Vitlycke Museum. TanumshedeGoogle Scholar
Berg, G. 1935. Sledges and Wheeled Vehicles. Ethnological Studies from the View-point of Sweden. Stockholm: Nordiska Museets Handlingar 4Google Scholar
Berglund, B. (ed.). 1991. The cultural landscape during 6000 years in southern Sweden – the Ystad project. Ecological Bulletin 41, 425–35Google Scholar
Bradley, R. 1993. Altering the Earth. The Origins of Monuments in Britain and Continental Europe. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of ScotlandGoogle Scholar
Burenhult, G. 1973. The Rock Carvings of Götaland. Part II. LundGoogle Scholar
Coles, J. 1982. The Bronze Age in northwestern Europe: problems and advances. Advances in World Archaeology 1, 265–321Google Scholar
Drees, L. 1967. Olympia. Gods, Artists and Athletes. LondonGoogle Scholar
Goldhahn, J. 1999. Sagaholm. Hällristningar och gravritual. Umeå: Studia Archaeologica Universitatis Umensis IIGoogle Scholar
Greene, D. 1972. The chariot as described in Irish literature. In Thomas, C. (ed.), The Iron Age in the Irish Sea Province, 59–73. London: Council for British Archaeology Research Report 9.Google Scholar
Håkansson, I. 1985. Skånes gravfynd från äldre bronsålder som källa till studiet av social struktur. Malmö: Acta Archaeologica Lundensia ser. in 8°, 14Google Scholar
Harding, A. 2000. European Societies in the Bronze Age. Cambridge: University PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hygen, A-S. & Bengtsson, L. 2000. Rock Carvings in the Borderlands. Bohuslän and Østfold. GöteborgGoogle Scholar
Jennbert, K. 1993. Släkters hågkomst. Om bruket av bronsåldershögar. In Larsson, 1993, 69–78.Google Scholar
Kaliff, A. 1997. Grav och Kultplats. Eskatologiska Föreställningar under yngre bronsalder och äldre järnalder i Östergötland. Uppsala: AUN 24.Google Scholar
Larsson, L. (ed.). 1993. Bronsålderens Gravhögar. Rapport från ett symposium i Lund 15–16. XI. 1991. Lund: Institute of Archaeology Report 48Google Scholar
Larsson, L. 2000. Human responses to natural resources since the last glaciation. In Sandgren, P. (ed.), Environmental Changes in Fennoscandia during the Late Quaternary, 59–68. Lundqua Report 37Google Scholar
Larsson, T. 1986. The Bronze Age Metalwork in Southern Sweden. Umeå: Archaeology and Environment 6Google Scholar
Malmer, M-P. 1981. A Chorological Study of North European Rock Art. Stockholm: Antikvariska serien 32Google Scholar
Marstrander, S. 1963. Østfolds Jordbruksristninger. Skjeberg. OsloGoogle Scholar
Milstreu, G. (ed.). 1999. Dokumentation och registering av hällristningar i Tanum. Tanumshede.Google Scholar
Nordström, P. 1995. Arkeologiska Undersökningar invid Hällristningar. Analys av 16 utgräningar invid hällristningar i Sverige och Norge. Stockholm: UniversityGoogle Scholar
Ohlmarks, Å. & Hasselrot, P. 1966. Hällristningar. StockholmGoogle Scholar
Olausson, D. 1992. The archaeology of the Bronze Age cultural landscape – research goals, methods and results. In Larsson, L.Callmer, J. & Stjernquist, B. (ed.), The Archaeology of the Cultural Landscape. Fieldwork and Research in a South Swedish Rural Region, 251–82. Lund: Acta Archaeologica Lundensia 4°, 19Google Scholar
Olausson, D. 1993. The Bronze Age barrow as symbol. In Larsson, 1993, 91–113Google Scholar
Oldeberg, A. 1974–1976. Die ältere metallzeit in Schweden. I–II. StockholmGoogle Scholar
Østmo, E. 1998. Hester, båter og menn. En statusrapport fra bronsealderen. Viking 61, 71–97Google Scholar
Pare, C. 1992. Wagons and Wagon-Graves of the Early Iron Age in Central Europe. OxfordGoogle Scholar
Petrovic, N. 1999. Gravar i gränsbygd. En studie av gränser och symbolik under bronsålder utifran högar och rösen i nordöstra Skåne. Lund: seminar paper, Institute of Archaeology, Lunds UniversitetGoogle Scholar
Pettersson, J. & Kristiansson, G. 1977. Hällristningar på Tjörn. MalungGoogle Scholar
Piggott, S. 1983. The Earliest Wheeled Transport. London: Thames & HudsonGoogle Scholar
Randsborg, K. 1993. Kivik. Archaeology and Iconography. Acta Archaeologica 64Google Scholar
Rasmussen, M. 1993. Gravhoje og bopladser. En foreløbig undersøgelse af lokalisering og sammenhaenge. In Larsson, 1993, 171–85Google Scholar
Rausing, G. 1991. The chariots of the petroglyphs. In Jennbert, K.Larsson, L.Petré, R. & Wyszumirska-Werbart, B. (eds), Regions and Reflections, 153–62. LundGoogle Scholar
Säfvestad, U. 1993. Högen och bygden – territoriell organisation i skånsk bronsålder. In Larsson, 1993, 161–9Google Scholar
Sahlqvist, L. 2000. Det rituella landskapet. Kosmografiska uttrycksformer och territoriell struktur. Uppsala: AUN 28Google Scholar
Stjernquist, B. 1993. Perspectives on monumental Bronze Age graves along the southern edge of Fenno-Scandia. In Larsson, 1993, 115–31Google Scholar
Thrane, H. 1962a. The earliest bronze vessels in Denmark's Bronze Age. Acta Archaeologica 33, 109–63Google Scholar
Thrane, H. 1962b. Hjulgraven fra Storehøj ved Tøbol i Ribe Amt. Kuml 1962, 80–112Google Scholar
Thrane, H. 1999. Bronze Age settlement in South Scandinavia – territoriality and organisation. In Harding, A. (ed.), Experiment and Design, 123–32. Oxford: OxbowGoogle Scholar