Piecing together the puzzle of the world's earliest datable rune stone:
Piecing together fragments of the world's earliest known rune stone shows they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and may have been separated intentionally, shedding light on the varied pragmatic and ritual aspects of early Germanic rune stones.
Runes were the letters used to write Germanic languages before the adoption of the Latin alphabet, the oldest of which were in use until about AD 700. However, how these runes originated and were used is unclear.
"The development of runic writing and the practice of inscribing runes on stone are difficult to trace," says Dr. Kristel Zilmer, professor in runology at the University of Oslo, and member of the research team behind a new publication in Antiquity.
Thus, the discovery of several sandstone fragments inscribed with runes at the grave field of Svingerud, Norway, is exciting, as they shed light on early use of runic writing on stone and feature multiple intriguing sequences of runes alongside other puzzling markings. The archaeological contexts of the finds provide excellent opportunities for dating the rune stone by radiocarbon dates.
The pieces of stone were found in separate graves. Through meticulous archaeological investigations over three field seasons and analysis of the fragments in the lab, the research team found that they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. By piecing together the fragments, the team were able to detect several runic inscriptions.
[...] This suggests that the original, large stone was intentionally fragmented, scattered and incorporated into later burials. Perhaps the stone was initially intended to mark one grave, but was fragmented to commemorate subsequent burials.
This invites a different perspective on the rune stone: could some of the unidentified symbols bridge the gap between ornamental script and early writing? Was the fragmentation and scattering of rune stones a means to connect different graves across the grave field?
Journal Reference: Inscribed sandstone fragments of Hole, Norway: radiocarbon dates provide insight into rune-stone traditions, Antiquity (2025). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2024.225
(Score: 3, Funny) by hendrikboom on Saturday February 08, @03:55AM (1 child)
Or was the stone broken up and the pieces buried separately a means of preventing a spirit from pulling itself together and becoming a threat?
(Score: 3, Funny) by driverless on Saturday February 08, @05:01AM
Given that back then you had draugr roaming the countryside at will and stealing the chickens, I don't think it would have made much difference.
(Score: 4, Funny) by driverless on Saturday February 08, @05:40AM
I can't make out all of it but I'm pretty sure the last bit says "smash a rock here to subscribe".
(Score: 3, Funny) by Dr Spin on Saturday February 08, @07:19AM (1 child)
Normal teenage graffiti as in
Kilroy woz ere
Gonzo ya, ya, ya
It is writing by the illiterati. You can see the same thing along the sides of railway lines in lots of countries.
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Thexalon on Saturday February 08, @11:32AM
Hey, ancient people weren't much different from us in a lot of ways. For example, ancient Roman bathroom graffiti from Pompeii [ancientgraffiti.org] is about basically the same stuff as modern American bathroom graffiti.
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Saturday February 08, @11:43AM
"earliest datable runestone"
Are you saying that an archaeologist came across a centuries-old rock and thought to themselves "Yeah, I'd like to hit that"? And here I was thinking Norwegians on average knew how to keep each other warm in those long cold winters.
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 3, Funny) by donkeyhotay on Sunday February 09, @12:44AM
This sounds like the beginning of a horror film. I would not be trying to put that stone back together!