Ezergaļi (Robalta) Stone with bowl-shaped hollow

2020-01-13 In Cult Identity Kurzeme region Latvia Stone

Location

State: Latvia
Region: Kurzeme
County: Skrunda
Parish: Skrunda

Other references to the location

In NE part of Skrunda rural area, in a bushy spring valley, about 1 km from Niedra manor, 100 m S-SW from the former Ezergaļi new-farm, on the edge of the left bank of the spring valley, opposite to the unpopulated Ezergaļi homestead, 300 m S from the nearest road, next a spruce wood.

Coordinates

lat=56.7275333333, lon=22.1407
56° 43′ 39″ N, 22° 8′ 26″ E

Description

The hollow stone that corresponds to the bowl-shaped stone type was once carefully made, however, after that it was demolished by unknown people. It has been split, possibly, also moved from somewhere else because the current site is not characteristic for the hollow stones of this kind. The height of the stone is 0.8 m, length 1.13 m, width 1.1 m. The diameter of the skilfully made cavity is 0.43 m, depth 7–8 cm. The bottom of the bowl is flat and its sides are steep. The side grooves typical for this kind of stones have not been carved in this stone. An assumption has been expressed that in the place where the bowl-shaped stone was split a 5 cm thick strip is missing which might have been carved off and taken away and possibly used for some memorial plate. Lightly grey granite with large crystals. The bowl-shaped stone has been known for explorers since 1995 when it was shown by the locals. The stone is known in the nearest homestead – Avotiņi.

Narrative

The stone is significant namely as a qualitatively made stone with a bowl-shaped hollow which has served as a cult site in the forests hereby. However, it also indicates the carelessness or even intolerance of the ancient cult monuments – the stone is severely damaged. It is not known if the stone has been split accidentally when looking for the material for some gravestone or a building or it has been damaged intentionally with the aim to eliminate the ancient cult site. A similarly split stone with a bowl-shaped hollow is known in Pāvilosta surroundings (Dzeņi Stone with a bowl-shaped hollow).

Attraction

Average

Availability

Difficult to access. The site can be reached by walking into the bushy valley of a spring, it can be found around 1 km from the Niedra manor, 100 m SW from the former Ezergaļi new-farm.