The Picture Stones of Gotland: Type C and D Stones as Death Memorials

dc.contributor.advisorBentley, Raymond A.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWidmer, Randolph J.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberVaughn, Sally N.
dc.creatorSpears, Kelsie H.
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-05T01:44:25Z
dc.date.available2016-09-05T01:44:25Z
dc.date.createdMay 2016
dc.date.issued2016-05
dc.date.updated2016-09-05T01:44:25Z
dc.description.abstractThis thesis focuses on the picture stones of Gotland, Sweden dating to the Viking Age. The Viking Age picture stones are made up of two groups, C and D, as delineated by Sune Lindqvist, dating to 700-1000 AD. Utilizing a basic hypothesis by Björn Varenius, which was applied to Early Iron Age picture stones, a research plan was created and applied to the stones of the Viking Age. An iconographic analysis was performed on six well-known stones found in the Gotland Museum and Swedish National Antiquity Museum. This iconographic analysis used the frequency of individual images and a correlation of images appearing together to interpret the basic thematic meaning of the iconography. A landscape discussion and context analysis was done on three sites, Buttle Änge, Fröjel Stenstugu, and Visne ängar, which had in situ picture stones. The landscape discussion sought to find significant features which could be connected to the stones and interpreted. While the context analysis looked at the archaeological finds excavated from around the immediate vicinity of the stones, and what that proximity could mean based on its location. All three analyses came together to make a determination of what the picture stones of the Viking Age mean and what their purpose was.  
dc.description.departmentComparative Cultural Studies, Department of
dc.format.digitalOriginborn digital
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10657/1522
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).
dc.subjectGotland
dc.subjectViking Age
dc.subjectPicture stones
dc.subjectDeath memorials
dc.subjectVisne angar
dc.titleThe Picture Stones of Gotland: Type C and D Stones as Death Memorials
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.genreThesis
thesis.degree.collegeCollege of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
thesis.degree.departmentComparative Cultural Studies, Department of
thesis.degree.disciplineAnthropology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Houston
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts

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