Del i serien Swedish Rock Art Research Series

Prehistoric Rock Art in Scandinavia

Häftad, Engelska, 2015

679 kr

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Scandinavia is home to prolific and varied rock art images among which the ship motif is prominent. Because of this, the rock art of Scandinavia has often been interpreted in terms of social ritual, cosmology, and religion associated with the maritime sphere. This comprehensive review is based on the creation of a Scandinavia-wide GIS database for prehistoric rock art and re-examines theoretical approaches and interpretations, in particular with regard to the significance of the ship and its relationship to a maritime landscape Discussion focuses on material agency as a means to understanding the role of rock art within society. Two main theories are developed. The first is that the sea was fundamental to the purpose and meaning of rock art, especially in the Bronze Age and, therefore, that sea-level/shoreline changes would have inspired a renegotiation of the relationship between the rock art sites and their intended purpose. The fundamental question posed is: would such changes to the landscape have affected the purpose and meaning of rock art for the communities that made and used these sites? Various theories from within and outside of archaeology are drawn on to examine environmental change and analyse the rock art, led to second theory: that the purpose of rock art might have been altered to have an effect on the disappearing sea. The general theory that rock art would have been affected by environmental change was discussed in tandem with existing interpretations of the meaning and purpose of rock art. Imbuing rock art with agency means that it could be intertwined in an active web of relations involving maritime landscapes, shoreline displacement and communities. Though created in stone and fixed in time and place, rock art images have propagated belief systems that would have changed over time as they were re-carved, abandoned and used by different groups of inhabitants. In the thousands of years rock art was created, it is likely that shoreline displacement would have inspired a renegotiation of the purpose and meaning of the imagery situated alongside the Scandinavian seas. This journey through a prehistoric Scandinavian landscape will lead us into a world of ancient beliefs and traditions revolving around this extraordinary art form.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2015-11-30
Mått216 x 279 x 12 mm
Vikt582 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
SerieSwedish Rock Art Research Series
Antal sidor160
FörlagOxbow Books
ISBN9781785701191

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AcknowledgementsIntroductionChapter summary PART 1Chapter 1. Rock art in prehistoric ScandinaviaDating rock art and issues of chronologyMesolithic artNeolithic artBronze Age artEarly Iron Age artShips across different mediaKey interpretations: trends and themesCosmology and religionShamanismTrade, connections and social organisationChapter 2. Rock art in a maritime landscapeRelocating the seaBronze Age environmental changeBronze Age environmental perceptionsRock art in a maritime landscape: key theoriesLandscapes as sacred placesLandscapes embodiedSeascapes PART IIChapter 3. Data collection and methodologyMethodologyData structures and integration processFund og Fortidsminder (F/DK) Askeladden (A/NO) Fornsök (F/SE) DatesMotifsMotif quantitiesMotif categoriesSite study areasScanGIS map dataDistance to present-day coastlineSummary Chapter 4. Ships and waterMotif distributionsMotif occurrencesMotifs and waterMethodologyScandinaviaMotif distributions in ScandinaviaMotif occurrences in ScandinaviaMotifs and water in ScandinaviaUppland: central eastern SwedenEnvironmental change and chronology in UpplandMotif distributions in UpplandMotif occurrences in UpplandMotifs and water in UpplandNorth Trøndelag and South Trøndelag: central NorwayEnvironmental change and chronology in North and South TrøndelagMotif distributions in North and South TrøndelagMotif occurrences in North and South TrøndelagMotifs and water in North and South TrøndelagØstfold and Bohuslän: southeast Norway / western SwedenEnvironmental change and chronology in Østfold and BohuslänMotif distributions in Østfold and BohuslänMotif occurrences in Østfold and BohuslänMotifs and water in Østfold and BohuslänHordaland and Rogaland: southwest NorwayEnvironmental change and chronology in Hordaland and RogalandMotif distributions in Hordaland and RogalandMotif occurrences in Hordaland and RogalandMotifs and water in Hordaland and RogalandDenmark and Skåne (detail of Simris): southern ScandinaviaEnvironmental change and chronology in Denmark and SkåneMotif distributions in Denmark and SkåneMotif occurrences in Denmark and SkåneMotifs and water in Denmark and SkåneShips and water: data summaryMotif distributionsMotif occurrencesMotifs and water Part III. Chapter 5. Rock art, agency and environmental changePerception, cognition and the importance of material cultureThe agency of artRock art, agency and environmental changeSummaryReferences