Levels of Narrativity in Scandinavian Bronze Age Petroglyphs
Ranta, Michael LU ; Skoglund, Peter ; Cabak Rédei, Anna LU
and Persson, Tomas
LU
(2019)
In Cambridge Archaeological Journal
29(3).
p.497-516
- Abstract
- In Europe, Scandinavia holds the largest concentration of rock art (i.e. petroglyphs), created c. 5000–first century bc, many of them showing figurative and seemingly narrative representations. In this paper, we will discuss possible narratological approaches applied to these images. We might reasonably distinguish between three levels of pictorial narrativity: representations of (i) single events, understood as the transition from one state of affairs to another, usually involving (groups of) agents interacting; (ii) stories, e.g. particular sequences of related events that are situated in the past and retold for e.g. ideological or religious purposes; and (iii) by implication, master-narratives deeply embedded in a culture, which provide... (More)
- In Europe, Scandinavia holds the largest concentration of rock art (i.e. petroglyphs), created c. 5000–first century bc, many of them showing figurative and seemingly narrative representations. In this paper, we will discuss possible narratological approaches applied to these images. We might reasonably distinguish between three levels of pictorial narrativity: representations of (i) single events, understood as the transition from one state of affairs to another, usually involving (groups of) agents interacting; (ii) stories, e.g. particular sequences of related events that are situated in the past and retold for e.g. ideological or religious purposes; and (iii) by implication, master-narratives deeply embedded in a culture, which provide and consolidate cosmological explanations and social structures. Some concrete examples of petroglyphs will be presented and analysed from narratological and iconographical perspectives. We will as a point of departure focus on (i), i.e. single events, though we shall also further consider the possibility of narrative interpretations according to (ii) and (iii). (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- In Europe, Scandinavia holds the largest concentration of rock art (i.e. petroglyphs), created c. 5000–first century BC, many of them showing figurative and seemingly narrative representations. In this paper, we will discuss possible narratological approaches applied to these images. We might reasonably distinguish between three levels of pictorial narrativity: representations of (i) single events, understood as the transition from one state of affairs to another, usually involving (groups of) agents interacting; (ii) stories, e.g. particular sequences of related events that are situated in the past and retold for e.g. ideological or religious purposes; and (iii) by implication, master-narratives deeply embedded in a culture, which provide... (More)
- In Europe, Scandinavia holds the largest concentration of rock art (i.e. petroglyphs), created c. 5000–first century BC, many of them showing figurative and seemingly narrative representations. In this paper, we will discuss possible narratological approaches applied to these images. We might reasonably distinguish between three levels of pictorial narrativity: representations of (i) single events, understood as the transition from one state of affairs to another, usually involving (groups of) agents interacting; (ii) stories, e.g. particular sequences of related events that are situated in the past and retold for e.g. ideological or religious purposes; and (iii) by implication, master-narratives deeply embedded in a culture, which provide and consolidate cosmological explanations and social structures. Some concrete examples of petroglyphs will be presented and analysed from narratological and iconographical perspectives. We will as a point of departure focus on (i), i.e. single events, though we shall also further consider the possibility of narrative interpretations according to (ii) and (iii). (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/5f377fc8-bcd1-4668-b384-1747c76a4dc1
- author
- Ranta, Michael
LU
; Skoglund, Peter
; Cabak Rédei, Anna
LU
and Persson, Tomas
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019-01-09
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Narrativitet, petroglyphs, Bronze Age, Semiotics
- in
- Cambridge Archaeological Journal
- volume
- 29
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 20 pages
- publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85063988642
- ISSN
- 1474-0540
- DOI
- 10.1017/S0959774319000118
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 5f377fc8-bcd1-4668-b384-1747c76a4dc1
- date added to LUP
- 2019-01-10 10:50:47
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 14:19:31
@article{5f377fc8-bcd1-4668-b384-1747c76a4dc1,
abstract = {{In Europe, Scandinavia holds the largest concentration of rock art (i.e. petroglyphs), created c. 5000–first century bc, many of them showing figurative and seemingly narrative representations. In this paper, we will discuss possible narratological approaches applied to these images. We might reasonably distinguish between three levels of pictorial narrativity: representations of (i) single events, understood as the transition from one state of affairs to another, usually involving (groups of) agents interacting; (ii) stories, e.g. particular sequences of related events that are situated in the past and retold for e.g. ideological or religious purposes; and (iii) by implication, master-narratives deeply embedded in a culture, which provide and consolidate cosmological explanations and social structures. Some concrete examples of petroglyphs will be presented and analysed from narratological and iconographical perspectives. We will as a point of departure focus on (i), i.e. single events, though we shall also further consider the possibility of narrative interpretations according to (ii) and (iii).}},
author = {{Ranta, Michael and Skoglund, Peter and Cabak Rédei, Anna and Persson, Tomas}},
issn = {{1474-0540}},
keywords = {{Narrativitet; petroglyphs; Bronze Age; Semiotics}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{01}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{497--516}},
publisher = {{Cambridge University Press}},
series = {{Cambridge Archaeological Journal}},
title = {{Levels of Narrativity in Scandinavian Bronze Age Petroglyphs}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0959774319000118}},
doi = {{10.1017/S0959774319000118}},
volume = {{29}},
year = {{2019}},
}