Narrative Aspects of Images of Spear Use in Scandinavian Rock Carvings

Scandinavian rock carvings, particularly those depicting spear use in Bohuslän and Östergötland, Sweden, contain mini-narratives that likely served as mnemonic devices for Bronze Age communities. These images reveal indexical relationships directing attention to targets, corresponding to familiar action scripts. The study suggests that concepts like iconicity, indexicality, scripts, and mini-narratives can advance research on Scandinavian rock art and similar visual narratives beyond the region.

Skoglund, P., Ranta, M., Persson, T., & Rédei, A. C. (2021). Narrative Aspects of Images of Spear Use in Scandinavian Rock Carvings. European Journal of Archaeology, 25(2), 176–195. https://doi.org/10.1017/eaa.2021.52