Stones in the South: Decoding Bronze Age Ritual Practices on Gotland

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the ritual practices and ritualization in the Bronze Age society on Got- land based on archaeological investigations of cairn milieus and stone ship contexts. We explore whether erected stones and demarcations on the south to south-west side of the Bronze Age cairns are the norm and whether this phenomenon oc- curred during the Bronze Age. We also discuss whether our archaeological research can support long-term use of cairn milieus for ritual purposes.

Keywords

• monument
• cairn
• ship setting
• south stones