Maarten van Hoek The Geography of Cup-and-Ring ... - StoneWatch

FIGURE 154: BOTTNA OLSKROKEN, BOHUSLÄN.
hunting scene” and “a herd of animals, probably horses”, watched by a
human “with a spear“ (Coles 1990: 56). A similar human at the Vitlycke
main panel is said to have extremely long arms (Coles 1990: 87),
whereas Wanke interprets these arms as a giant spear (1999: 27).
Although both interpretations for the long groove at the Vitlycke
human may be correct, it is doubtful whether the horizontal groove at
the Bottna Olskroken human indeed represents arms or a spear. There
notably is a third downward stroke, which is a more plausible
representation of an arm. It is also too high up to be a sword
scabbard. Moreover, the horizontal groove at Bottna Olskroken also
lacks the typical spear-head. So there is nothing to suggest a warrior
at Bottna Olskroken; not even the ubiquitous scabbard.
Surprisingly, a more obvious interpretation of the long groove, so
characteristic for “stick-carrying disc-men”, seems to have been
ignored in general. Especially at Bottna Olskroken the whole scene may
well represent a shepherd with his flock; the horizontal groove simply
being a shepherd’s staff. In this respect it is interesting to see that
at Finntorp there is one “disc-man” carrying a shepherd’s crook with its
typical curved end (Fig. 150.12).
On the Finntorp panel are several “shepherds” or “sun-gods” carrying
staffs, again, however, interpreted as “enormously long spears” (Coles
1990: 34). There is the true “disc-man”, mentioned earlier, but also a
very fine cup-and-three-rings within a “disc-man”. To me this triple
“disc-man” at Finntorp (Fig. 150.11) and a similar example at nearby
Aspeberget (Fig. 150.9) are two of the most convincing examples of
the “re-sanctification” of an earlier, possible Neolithic, symbol. At
both figures this has been simply achieved by adding a few grooves
representing typical Bronze Age elements.
Fig. 155 shows two phases of engraving at Finntorp. The sequence
clearly shows that it is possible that Bronze Age people “re-sanctified”
Neolithic cup-and-rings. The Bronze Age “re-sanctification” of a
Neolithic symbol should therefore never be ruled out and should only
be dismissed after solid rebuttal. Also Coles leaves open the important
M. van HOEK: 192
GEOGRAPHY