Visiting Gotland means you disembark on an island dominated by limestone. The limestone ground you walk on is 400 million years old and has been used by man since 4th century when early Gotland artists made the famous picture stones, a predecessor to the well known rune stones. Limestone is a natural stone known for its quality of aging beautifully. Today when all things natural are in vogue, there are as many uses for the Gotland stone as there are shades of gray. Gotland limestone is used as flooring, tiles, table tops, kitchen tops, and window seales.
Even up to this day artists still use Gotland limestone that continues the unbroken link of serving as raw material for artisans since 4th century.
Picture stone, photographed in Gotlands Museum. Picture stone with scenes including a sailing ship, a procession headed by a woman carrying a serpent. 8th-9th centuries, Smiss, Stenkyrka, Gotland.
Limestone mosaic from KalkStensDesign Gotland. http://kalkstensdesigngotland.se This mosaic is a further development of the stone produced by Slite Stenhuggeri. www.slitesten.se