New light on Ale’s Stones

A monumental ship-setting in the province of Skåne, Sweden

Abstract

This article deals with the largest preserved ship-setting in Sweden, Ale’s Stones, situated on the Kåseberga ridge in the south-eastern part of the province of Skåne. The monument was subject to a research project which was initiated in 1987 by Professor Märta Strömberg† at the Department of Archaeology, University of Lund, and carried on well into the 21st century. Different aspects and archaeological results were published in a number of articles, by Strömberg and fellow scientists. The excavations carried out by the project have been described in some detail in a report published by the National Heritage Board in 2012. In this article we will recapitulate and update the state of knowledge regarding the monument and its setting. The site is examined in relation to: (1) The distribution and contexts of similar monumental ship-settings in Denmark and Sweden; and (2) The local landscape. A theoretical approach is briefly outlined in order to contextualize the monument and some perspectives for future research are suggested.