Stenkyrka | |
|---|---|
 The road from Martebo to Stenkyrka | |
  Stenkyrka | |
| Coordinates:57°47′35.84″N18°30′54.06″E / 57.7932889°N 18.5150167°E /57.7932889; 18.5150167 | |
| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Gotland |
| County | Gotland County |
| Municipality | Gotland Municipality |
| Area | |
• Total | 43 km2 (17 sq mi) |
| Population (2014)[2] | |
• Total | 505 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Stenkyrka is a populated area, asocken (not to be confused withparish), on the Swedish island ofGotland.[3] It comprises the same area as theadministrative Stenkyrka District, established on 1 January 2016.[4]
Stenkyrka in the northwest part of the island. ThemedievalStenkyrka Church is situated in Stenkyrka.[5] Near the church is a minor settlement with a few houses. The fishing villageLickershamn, noted for thestackJungfrun is situated in Stenkyrka.[6]
As of 2019[update], Stenkyrka Church belongs to Stenkyrkaparish in Norra Gotlandspastorat, along with the churches inMartebo,Tingstäde andLummelunda.[7][8]
One of theasteroids in theAsteroid belt,10125 Stenkyrka, isnamed after this place.[9]
This settlement is where theStenkyrka spearhead was found. It is incised with the oldest known runic inscription known in Sweden.[10]
A bit east of the church in Stenkyrka is one of the largestgrave fields on Gotland, the Little Bjärs Grave Field (Lilla Bjärs gravfält). Along one of the oldest roads in this part of the island, now not more than a trail, are more than 1,000 visible graves from theStone Age and theBronze Age. Most of the graves arecairns and circulartumuli. Bases forpicture stones have been found in the field. They have remained after the picture stones have been moved and incorporated in the walls of the Stenkyrka Church. Some of these have later been moved toGotland Museum.[11]
The grave field is about 700 m × 500 m (2,300 ft × 1,600 ft) in a general northeast–southwest direction. It contains about 750 identifiable graves above ground, but it is difficult to ascertain the borders between the mounds. A number of the mounds have depressions in the middle, about ten have visible remains ofcists made of limestone slabs, about 30 graves havegrave orbs. Among the graves is also astone ship. A large number of the graves have been damaged by modern constructions and farming. The modern road bisects the area in an angle to the old road that the field have been established around.[12]
Authority control databases: Artists |
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