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- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948, et al.
(author)
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The Kivik tomb: Bredarör enters into the digital arena - documented with OLS, SfM and RTI
- 2017
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In: New Perspectives on the Bronze Age : proceedings of the 13th Nordic Bronze Age Symposium held in Gothenburg 9th to 13th June 2015 / edited by Sophie Bergerbrant and Anna Wessman. - Oxford : Archaeopress. - 9781784915988
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Bredarör cairn in Kivik sparked the interest of researchers by presenting the rare combination of rock art within a burial con- text. A recent documentation project that employed the traditional tracing method has sparked a new debate about the precision of older tracings and frottages. This paper presents the results of a holistic recording of the slabs in the Bredarör cairn using three modern methods: Structure from Motion (SfM), Optical Laser Scanning (OLS) and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). In discussing SfM, OLS and RTI, the paper demonstrates the power of these tools to expand the capabilities to record rock art in an unbiased fashion and in greater detail. In contrast to older methods, the depth and texture of features on the rock are documented and human error is reduced, because everything is recorded. Some observations of the earlier documentation efforts were confirmed, and more details added, such as information on ship prows and horse design. This allowed an in-depth discussion of the dating and use of rock art in the Bredarör cairn. It is argued that although there is evidence that the slabs were transformed several times, the majority of the carving activity was carried out during Period II of the Nordic Bronze Age. It suggests that an important individual, possibly connected to long-distance trade, was interred in the cairn that subsequently served as a necropolis until the Late Bronze Age.
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- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948
(author)
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Boundless rock art - symbols, contexts and times in prehistoric imagery of Fennoscandia
- 2015
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In: Ritual landscapes and Borders within Rock Art Research Papers in Honour of Professor Kalle Sognnes / edited by Heidrun Stebergløkken, Ragnhild Berge, Eva Lindgaard and Helle Vangen Stuedal. - Oxford : Archeopress Publishing LTD. - 9781784911584 ; , s. 79-97
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Prehistoric Rock Art is abundant in Fennoscandia. An extreme varied richness of images, in the form of paintings and engravings were produced during a period of time of about eight millennia. This affluence has given rise to an, equally, rich research tradition and a splitting of the rock art in two major blocks has been established. The blocks derive their origin from early-observed differences in mo- tives that, if we generalize, roughly, focused on animals instead of humans – zoomorphs instead of antropmorphs in rock art research terms; and in the technique used to make images cutting and polishing or painting instead of engraving; and when this was coupled with the observed spatial distribution – essentially northern and southern; and the, also observed, cultural context hunters and farmers, also then confirmed in dating – Stone Age and Bronze Age. As this picture gradually became clearer, the interpretation became the more entrenched. In tandem, these concepts thus represent the essence of these two, over time, increasingly strong, explicit and discursive research traditions, which are still mostly confirmed and rarely questioned. There has actually been a certain awareness of some overlap between the two major traditions, and that overlap will be our point of departure. A more common feature, however, is that research early focused on, and defined, what separates traditions, rather than on what they have in common. It is, nevertheless, important to note some scientists have had an awareness that rock art images may have a meaning also on a level different than a regional or local. A level that represents a wider dimension, with a Meta meaning of the images. The objective of this article is to take a closer look at those dichotomous relationships sketched above, by presenting examples, some hitherto unobserved, of images, symbols and panels that seem to transcend those fixed boundaries and to overcome these established concepts. Simultaneously, one can argue that pictures and symbols may have a different, more generic sense, corresponding with a broader geographic and temporal spread, on, what we like to call, a Meta level. And that this had a somewhat different reason than the specific geographical environment and the immediate surrounding landscape in which the peoples who produced the rock art in Fennoscandia lived. A cognitive research perspective inspires our analysis, where, primarily, thoughts and ideas, and not geographical environments, are the starting point of human action. Further, this implies that the human mind – psyche and thought – created the reality that she responded and reacted to. According to cognitive theory, the way in which humans interpret, think, remember and make decisions is based on internal cognitive schemas – organized patterns of thinking and actions that humans use to understand and respond to their experiences. This means that it could be possible to find similar pictorial representations in different areas of Fennoscandia and elsewhere in the world, independent of the natural environment and temporal representation.
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- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948
(author)
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Carved footprints and prehistoric beliefs: Examples of symbol and myth practice and ideology
- 2014
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In: EXPRESSION. - 2499-1341. ; :No. 6 august 2014, s. 29-46:N°6 August 2014, s. 29-46
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Footprints are an image type often represented on prehistoric petroglyphs. The author made a first study of its design, sprawl, dating and interpretation in the archaeological source material as part of a further investigation of this theme (Bertilsson 2013). Case studies of signi4cant rock art sites in Sweden, Norway, Italy and Israel showed that the footprint is quite a general phenomenon, occurring in all these areas during the time period starting c. 3000 BC and continuing until at least 500 BC. The earliest dating applies to Har Karkom in Israel, and the youngest, Zurla in Valcamonica in Italy. The widespread occurrence of the symbol on the prehistoric rock pictures means that it must be perceived as a pictogram or an archetypal symbol (Anati 1993, Fredell 2003: 9). The footprints have been interpreted in di6erent ways; as the epitome of an otherwise invisible deity, a sign of reverence or as a symbol of a dead person (Almgren 1962, Anati 1994, Gavaldo 2009) (for a series of further proposals for interpretation of footprints see Coles 2005: 52).
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- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948
(author)
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Divine Footprints. Traces of Cosmological Archetypes and Prehistoric Religion on the Rock Faces.
- 2013
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In: In: Art as source of history. XXV VALCAMONICA SYMPOSIUM: Città della Cultura - Capo di Ponte (Italy) September 20 to 26, 2013. Edited by Emmanuel Anati.. - 9788886621397 ; , s. 163-172
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Stando alla attuali conoscenze, le orme incise fanno la loro comparsa in diverse culture preistoriche e siti di arte rupestre nel corso di un periodo da 3000 a 4000 anni fa. Ciò indica che l'orma incisa rappresenta un fenomeno che condensa in sé informazioni simboliche di significato, forza e durata non comuni. In relazione a tale considerazione, l'orma potrebbe, allo stesso modo della coppella, essere considerata un pittogramma e un simbolo archetipo.È stata interpretata in modi diversi: come il segno di una divinità invisibile che non può essere representata ma che annuncia la sua presenza attraverso le sue orme, come segno di adorazione o come rappresentazione di una persona deceduta. Tuttavia, ciò non implica necessariamente che tutte le orme incise debbano avere lo stesso stile o lo stesso significata, al contrario! Tale considerazione è anche chiaramente comprovata dalla distribuzione irregolare di questo simbolo nei dati preistorici. E sebbene esso abbia la sua espressione per eccellenza nei petroglifi, potrebbe anche essere considerato come rappresentazione di una prospettiva artistica di larga applicazione. Nell'intervento saranno presentati e analizzata esempi esplicativi da diversi contesti in Scandinavia, Italia e Israele, di epoca neolitica, della Età del Bronzo e del Ferro.
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6. |
- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948-
(author)
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Europarådets bronsålderskampanj : uppslaget
- 1994
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In: Kulturmiljövård. - Stockholm : Riksantikvarieämbetet. - 1100-4800. ; :1, s. 70-71
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Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Bronsåldern - Europas första guldålder är temat för Europarådets kampanj som startar till sommaren. Kampanjen, som presenterades i Kulturmiljövård 5/1993, har en organisation både på internationell och nationell nivå. Syftet är att lyfta fram det gemensamma europeiska arkeologiska arvet.
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- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948
(author)
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Examples of application of modern digital techniques and methods Structure from Motion (SfM) and Multi-View Stereo (MVS)for three-dimensional documentation of rock carvings in Tanum creating new opportunities for interpretation and dating
- 2015
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In: Proceedings of the XXVI Valcamonica Symposium 2015, Capo di Ponte (Bs) Italy September 9 to 12, 2015 / Edited by : Federico Troletti. - 9788886621465 ; , s. 1-6
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One goal of the SHFA are applying and improving non-tactile digital documentation techniques, mainly laser scanning and digital pho- topography as means to avoid interventions in the rock carvings like cleaning and painting with increased wear. A pilot study documenting some 20-rock carvings in Tanum with Structure from Motion technology was performed in 2014. One important aim was to compare the result with that of 2D-documentation methods, rubbing and plastic tracing. SfM means that the rock carvings are documented by a number of overlapping photographs taken with a digital SLR camera of suitable quality. A powerful computer, a workstation, is needed to enable processing of the images with the software, Agi Soft and Multi-view Stereo resulting in a high-resolution, three-dimensional image of the photographed hob. In this manner, a picture of the carving is produced, which, also gives the carved surface’s structure and topography. The study produced a more detailed result in less time and at lower cost. The results were intriguing and spectacular information was obtained inter alia at the famous rock carving with the mighty spear-carrier at Litsleby. By carefully analysing details of concerning the spearhead new and sensational information about its type and dating was accomplished showing that the method can provide significant contributions to in-depth interpretation and dating possibilities of rock carvings by creating unprecedented opportunities to analyse actual images and e.g. superimpositions in more detail./La SHFA stanno intraducento e applicando tecniche di documentazione digitali, soprattutto scansione laser e fotografia digitale, che riducono al minimo gli interventi sulle incisioni rupestri. Il primo progetto pilota con tecnica SfM sulla r. 20 di Tanum risale al 2014 e ha permesso di con- frontare i primi elaborati grafici con le più tradizionali tecniche di rilevamento 2D: rilievo e frottage. SfM permette di documentare le incisioni rupestri con una serie di fotografie scattate con una fotocamera reflex digitale di qualità adeguata, le immagini sono poi elaborate da software come Agi Soft e Multi-view Stereo in grado di restituire immagini tridimensionali del piano fotografato. Lo studio ha dimostrato che si possono ottenere ottimi risultati in poco tempo e a costi contenuti. I risultati più intriganti e spettacolari si sono ottenuti a Litsleby, su una roccia caratterizzata dall’incisione di una grande lancia. Analizzando con attenzione la punta di lancia si sono potute fare importanti considerazioni sulla sua tipologia e datazione. Questo metodo può quindi fornire un contributo significativo all’interpretazione e all’approfondimento delle incisioni rupestri, creando opportunità senza precedenti per analizzare le immagini reali e le sovrapposizioni in modo sempre più dettagliato.
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8. |
- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948
(author)
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Footprints on the Rock Faces - following the Tracks of Cosmological Archetypes and Pictograms for Millennia of Prehistory
- 2013
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In: Counterpoint: Essays in Archeology and Heritage Studies in Honour of Professor Kristian Kristiansen. Edited by Sophie Bergerbrant and Serena Sabatini.. - Oxford : Archaeopress. - 9781407311265 ; 2013:2508, s. 243-252
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- According to our knowledge carved footprints appear in a variety of prehistoric cultures and rock art sites during a period of 3,000 to 4,000 years. This indicates that the carved footprint represents a phenomenon that contains condensed symbolic information of unusual significance, strength and life span. In that respect the footprint might, just as the cup mark, be seen as a pictogram and an archetypical symbol. It has been interpreted in different ways: as a sign of an invisible deity that could not be depicted but announced its presence by its footprint, as a sign of adoration or as representing a deceased person. However, this does not necessarily mean that all engraved footprints have the same design or the same meaning. Quite the opposite! This is also clearly testified by the dispersed appearance of this symbol in the prehistoric record.
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9. |
- Bertilsson, Ulf, 1948
(author)
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From folk oddities and remarkable relics to scientific substratum: 135 years of changing perceptions on the rock carvings in Tanum, northern Bohuslän, Sweden.
- 2015
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In: Picturing the Bronze Age / edited by Peter Skoglund, Johan Ling and Ulf Bertilsson. - Oxford : Oxbow Books. - 9781782978794 ; , s. 5-20
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study examines the formation process of the cultural heritage of the rock carvings in Tanum, northern Bohuslän, Sweden. In particular, it looks at the social and cultural forces that have combined and interacted over time to create the academic discourse relating to this material. The article includes a brief description of the most influential individuals, publications and events in this process from 1792 until Tanum was designated as a World Heritage site in 1994. The study targets the period from the first depiction of the Litsleby panel by Carl Gustaf Gottfried Hielfeling until the publication of Oscar Almgren’s groundbreaking study Hällristningar och Kultbruk in 1927. This 135-year period constitutes the formative period of the study of rock art in Tanum. During this period the way the material was viewed evolved from being regarded as strange curiosities of uncertain age explained by legend-related interpretations to an important body of archaeological heritage that would become a central research area in the rapidly developing field of archaeological science.
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