Kristian Kristiansen

A national database and archive for Swedish rock art from the Bronze Age.






Bronze Age rock art represent a unique Nordic contribution to world culture, and more than 17,000 localities are known in Sweden alone, including 5000 from Bohuslän in western Sweden.. Approximately 2000 panels have been properly documented during the last 10 years, in 3 EU projects under the leadership of Swedish Heritage. The primary documentation exists as meter long rolls with frottage of the panels, which are later drawn onto transparent plastic. It deteriorates rather fast, and therefore needs to be scanned into a database. Thus, the project's primary aim is to create a national database and archive for Swedish rock art, which can be employed for research, management, and public presentation. The project consists of three interrelated parts: an archival survey and recording of all existing documentation about rock art in Sweden; a scanning and digitization of 2000 rock art panels from the last 10 years' primary documentation work; and, finally, its integration into a national database for research and public presentation. This database will then be part of Swedish Heritage's new 'kulturmiljöportal' (cultural port), thus becoming available to all. In the long run, it is hoped that the project will generate a national centre for rock art documentation and research, as Swedish rock art research in recent years has taken a giant step forward, and become part of a growing international research environment.
Grant administrator
University of Gothenburg
Reference number
In2006-1119:1-IK
Amount
SEK 3,000,000
Funding
RJ Infrastructure for research
Subject
Unspecified
Year
2006