New Delhi:
Archaeologists in Norway have uncovered new details about the world’s oldest known rune stone, first revealed in 2023. New research suggests that the nearly 2,000-year-old inscriptions were originally part of a larger slab, which was later broken and repurposed in different burials.
Scientists are now working to reassemble the fragments, hoping to decipher the ancient carvings and uncover their true purpose.
In 2021, archaeologists discovered the oldest known rune stone while excavating an ancient burial site in eastern Norway. They first found a large fragment with runic traces, then uncovered more sandstone pieces with similar inscriptions in nearby graves.
Researchers concluded that these fragments were once part of a single rune stone, which was intentionally broken and placed in different burials. Published in Antiquity on February 3, the study suggests the stone’s purpose may have changed over time, possibly serving as a memorial or ritual object.
Radiocarbon dating places the fragments between 50 BC and AD 275, making them the earliest known runic inscriptions on stone. “We have had little concrete evidence of early use of runic writing on stone,” said Kristel Zilmer, a runology professor at the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History, CNN.
The inscriptions contain a mix of clear writing, script-like motifs and ornamental markings. One fragment, now called the Hole 2 stone, features the word “Idiberug,” which researchers believe is a name – possibly female. Another, the Hole 3 stone, appears to bear the inscriber’s signature, beginning with “I,” followed by a name and the phrase “wrote rune.”
Ms Zilmer noted that the signature’s ending suggests it could belong to a woman, potentially making this the earliest known record of a female rune carver. But researchers are cautious about linking the name on Hole 2 with the inscriber of Hole 3 until further study.
Archaeologists are still analysing additional fragments found in 2023 to understand their connections. “This is not a complete puzzle – we are missing significant portions, and there are evident gaps,” said Ms Zilmer.
Lisbeth Imer, a runology expert at the National Museum of Denmark, believes the findings challenge the traditional view of rune stones as commemorative monuments. “But the Svingerud stone challenges this perception, because it was carved with runes, then destroyed, then carved with a new inscription,” she said, adding, “So perhaps, we should not view it as a rune stone but as something completely different. There are still mysteries to be solved here.”
The discovery site in Hole municipality, northwest of Oslo, had previously revealed three grave mounds. A recent excavation uncovered a fourth burial mound and two flat graves. Inside a cremation pit, researchers found the remains of an adult, along with pottery, brooches, belt fragments, and a rune-inscribed sandstone slab.
The Norwegian team’s research supports a hypothesis proposed in 2011 by Ms Imer, suggesting the earliest rune stones date back to the Late Roman Period (AD 160-375).