The ancient stone was unearthed in Norway in late 2021, while excavating a gravesite in Tyrifjorden, a town west of Oslo. It could contain the earliest example of words recorded in writing in Scandinavia, as the radiocarbon dating of items collected at the site, including charred bones and charcoal, determined that the runestone was likely carved sometime between A.D. 1 and 250. The stone has been dubbed ‘Svingerudsteinen’ (“Svingerud Stone”) after the gravesite where it was unearthed and will be on display for a month beginning Jan. 21 at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. Measuring 31 by 32 centimeters, the runestone has multiple inscriptions containing runes, letters related to the Germanic alphabet: eight runes on the front of the stone read “idiberug,” which could refer to a specific person or family, but experts are still deciphering many of the etchings.
