The World's Oldest Rune Stone

Museum of Cultural History ^ | January 2023 | University of Oslo

[SunkenCiv]

In the autumn of 2021, archaeologists of the Museum of Cultural History investigated a grave field by Tyrifjorden in Ringerike. In one of the graves, they discovered a stone with several runic inscriptions. Burnt bones and charcoal from the grave reveal that the runes were inscribed between the years 1 and 250 AD. This makes it the earliest known rune stone...

Sometime between 1,800 and 2,000 years ago, someone stood near Tyrifjorden and carved runes into the 31x32 cm block of reddish-brown Ringerike sandstone. They spoke an early form of the ancient Nordic language that is the ancestor language of modern Nordic languages spoken in Scandinavia today...

Is the name inscribed on the stone that of the person who is buried there? On the front face of the stone, eight runes stand out clearly among other inscriptions. Converted into Latin letters they spell: idiberug. Is the stone made "for Idibera"? Or was the intention to write the name 'Idibergu' or the kin name 'Idiberung'?

[SunkenCiv]

These runes were inscribed between the years 1 and 250 AD and date back to the earliest days of the enigmatic history of runic writing.

Photo: Alexis Pantos/KHM, UiO

The rest of the "runes" keyword, sorted:

• Norse runic text found in Oslo [01/04/2022]
• Did the Scandinavians beat Columbus to America twice? [10/22/2003]
• Could rare sword have belonged to Ivan the Terrible? [11/24/2014]
• The Viking's Jötunvillur Runic Code is Solved [02/12/2014]
• Scientists Find Runes on Ancient Comb [04/16/2012]
• On a mission to crack the Norse code [ Orkney ] [01/14/2010]
• Church lot rock actually ancient runestone [05/06/2009]
• Possible Third Jellinge Stone Found (Viking Era) [11/06/2006]

[DannyTN]

who want’s a rune stone that makes you older.

I want one that makes me in my 20’s.

[Leaning Right]

> In one of the graves, they discovered a stone with several runic inscriptions. <

Hmm. Violating a grave is considered to be a terrible crime. But I guess you can poke around all you want if enough years have passed.

[Bon of Babble]

Let me guess: The origin of the runes and the people who carved them will be traced directly to Africa.

That's what Scientific American will report.

[Bon of Babble]

It’s an advertisement for something, I’m sure of it.

[Flag_This]

”Is the stone made "for Idibera"? Or was the intention to write the name 'Idibergu' or the kin name 'Idiberung'?”

Freakin’ autocorrect.

[carcraft]

Your car warranty is about to expire?

[unread]

"Your car warranty is about to expire?"

:)

Camels for rent. One hump or two.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Violating a grave is considered to be a terrible crime.

Even where historical or scientific curiosity is involved. There are some old graves, like Shakespeare's and the "boys in the tower" which have remained inviolate, despite interest in them by modern historians. However, these graves were not even recognized as graves, they were dug up by farmers. In a way, the archeologists are restoring ancient graves.

[dfwgator]

“A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!”

[Leaning Right]

> However, these graves were not even recognized as graves... <

Ah, good point.

[FreedomPoster]

They’ve been woke for what? 30+ years now?

[SunkenCiv]

The other GGG topics added since the previous digest ping, chrono sort:

• The Black Death may not have been spread by rats after all [01/21/2023]
• Child Buried With 142 Dogs in Ancient Egyptian Necropolis [01/20/2023]
• A surge in obsidian exploitation more than 1.2 million years ago at Simbiro III (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia) [01/20/2023]
• Egyptian archaeologists discovered 16 meters long ancient papyrus with spells from the Book of the Dead [01/20/2023]
• The First Modern Poet...Today, no amount of praise for Dante seems enough. [01/19/2023]
• Portrait of an 8-year-old Neanderthal boy who lived more than 30,000 years ago is REVEALED by scientists who reconstructed his face using a skull found in 1938 [01/19/2023]
• Hero pilot who shot down at least FOUR Russian Migs in classified dogfight in 1952 to receive the Navy Cross: Captain took on seven jets alone and was shot 263 times - but was ordered not to tell anyone for fear of sparking war [01/19/2023]
• American History: Meet Slave, American Hero, and Patriot Spy James Armistead Lafayette [01/17/2023]
• A 'Hilarious' Compilation of Medieval Jokes and Humour! [01/16/2023]
• Archaeologists Uncover Early Christian Church With Ornate Mosaic in Jericho [01/16/2023]
• [Redacted} The chilling details of MLK's first assassination attempt by a Black woman [01/16/2023]
• The great Paul Johnson, RIP: A truly great historian who entertained the daylights out of us [01/15/2023]
• Discovery of the temple of Poseidon located at the Kleidi site near Samikon in Greece [01/15/2023]

[SunkenCiv]

Oh, that trope again.

[SunkenCiv]

LOL

[blueunicorn6]

Bowling scores.

[PLMerite]

"They spoke an early form of the ancient Nordic language that is the ancestor language of modern Nordic languages spoken in Scandinavia today..."

If they only knew...

[GingisK]

Ovaltine.

[sima_yi]

The origin of the runes and the people who carved them will be traced directly to Africa.

And were enslaved by evil Republicans, led, of course, by Donald Trump. Either that, or it will be somehow due to Global Warming.

That's what Scientific American will report.

[SunkenCiv]

Quibble — The so-called boys in the tower were forensically examined in 1933. Much more recent scrutiny of the information gathered at that time shows that they probably aren’t the remains of the princes, not least because they are likely to be at least a few hundred years older. :^)

Richard III’s mtDNA has been sequenced (that’s what led to the ID of the remains of that king), and there has been growing interest in obtaining mtDNA samples from the alleged remains of the princes. Probably won’t happen, not least because it could (I’d say would) mictorate in the punchbowl.

If they do check them, I’ve got a request for a couple of additional royals’ DNA.

By and large, even the royal sarcos have been opened, and not just in Britain.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/death-and-memory/anglo-saxon-ship-burial-sutton-hoo

https://bonesdontlie.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/re-opening-the-past-for-rememberance-for-research-for-relics/

https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/the-opening-of-the-tomb-of-king-edward-i-in-westminster-abbey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjFzHXj_U3k

https://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/2015/01/opening-the-coffin-of-king-charles-i.html