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Interpretations of Footprints in the Bronze Age Rock Art of South Scandinavia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2017

Peter Skoglund ,
Courtney Nimura  and
Richard Bradley
Peter Skoglund
Affiliation:
Department of Cultural Sciences, Linnaeus University, 391 82 Kalmar, Sweden Email: peter.m.skoglund@lnu.se
Courtney Nimura
Affiliation:
Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit, Griffith University, Australia; Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PG, UK Email: courtneynimura@gmail.com
Richard Bradley
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Whiteknights Box 227, Reading, RG6 6AB, UK Email: r.j.bradley@reading.ac.uk
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Abstract

The Scandinavian landscape is littered with postglacial outcrops, many of which carry engraved motifs. Although drawings of ships are most often discussed, this paper focuses on representations of feet. In Northern Europe ship motifs are often associated with cosmologies based on the movement of the sun. This paper investigates whether drawings of feet could have been associated with the same worldview. A number of interpretations are offered of the images at two sites in different parts of Sweden: Järrestad 13:1 and Boglösa 138:1.

Résumé

Interprétations d’empreintes de l’art pariétal à l’âge du bronze en Scandinavie du sud, de Peter Skoglund, Courtney Nimura et Richard Bradley

Le paysage scandinave est jonché d’affleurements rocheux post-glaciaires dont beaucoup sont porteurs de motifs gravés. Bien que le plus souvent ce sont les motifs de bateaux qui sont discutés , cet article se concentre sur les représentations de pieds. Dans l’Europe du nord les motifs de bateaux sont souvent associés à des cosmologies basées sur le mouvement du soleil. Cet article enquête afin de savoir si les dessins de pied auraient pu être associés à cette même vision du monde. Un certain nombre d’interprétations sont offertes pour les images de deux sites dans différentes parties de la Suède: Järrestad 13:1 and Boglösa 138:1.

Zussamenfassung

Die Interpretation von Fußspuren in der bronzezeitlichen Felskunst Südskandinaviens, von Peter Skoglund, Courtney Nimura und Richard Bradley

Die skandinavische Landschaft ist übersät mit postglazialen Felsformationen, von denen viele eingetiefte Bildmotive tragen. Auch wenn die Darstellungen von Schiffen am häufigsten diskutiert werden, fokussiert dieser Beitrag auf die Bilder von Füßen. In Nordeuropa sind Schiffsmotive häufig mit Kosmologien verknüpft, die auf der Bewegung der Sonne basieren. Dieser Beitrag untersucht, ob die Darstellungen von Füßen mit der gleichen Weltsicht verknüpft werden kann. Eine Reihe von Interpretationen der Bilder wird vorgeschlagen anhand von zwei Fundplätzen in unterschiedlichen Regionen Schwedens: Järrestad 13:1 und Boglösa 138:1.

Resumen

Interpretaciones de las pisadas en el arte rupestre de la Edad del Bronce del Sur de Escandinavia, por Peter Skoglund, Courtney Nimura y Richard Bradley

El paisaje escandinavo está repleto de afloramientos postglaciales, muchos de los cuales presentan motivos grabados. Aunque las embarcaciones han sido frecuentemente los motivos más discutidos, este artículo se centra en las representaciones de pisadas. En el norte de Europa los motivos de embarcaciones están frecuentemente asociados con cosmologías basadas en el movimiento del sol. Este artículo investiga si los motivos de pisadas podrían haber estado asociados igualmente a la misma cosmovisión. Se ofrece una serie de interpretaciones de las imágenes documentados en dos sitios ubicados en distintas partes de Suecia: Järrestad 13:1 y Boglösa 138:1.

Keywords

Bronze AgeScandinaviaprehistoric rock artfootprintsfoot solesshipswheel crossessun crossessunsea
Type
Articles
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 83 , December 2017 , pp. 289 - 303
Copyright
© The Prehistoric Society 2017 

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