Viking-Era Stone Carved with Runes Found in Norway

[Judi Lynn]

By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor | December 5, 2017 09:38am ET

A stone carved with symbols known as runes and dating to the Middle Ages has been discovered during an excavation ahead of a railway-construction project in Oslo, Norway.

The runes, which were found engraved on a whetstone (a stone used for sharpening knives), date to sometime around 1,000 years ago when the Vikings (also called the Norse) flourished in Norway. The runic writing system conveyed a language and could be used to record and convey information as well as cast spells. Each rune formed a letter or sign and a combination of runes could spell out a word. Who engraved the runes on this newly discovered stone is unknown. [Fierce Fighters: 7 Secrets of Viking Seamen]

Runic writing was used in Norway and other parts of Northern Europe during the Middle Ages, which lasted between roughly 500-1450. However, artifacts containing runes are rare, and archaeologists debate the number of people who could write them, the researchers said.

The person who wrote these runes was probably not a trained rune carver and was likely learning to spell in runic, Karen Holmqvist, a fellow at NIKU who specializes in the study of runes, said in the statement, noting that the quality of runic writing on the stone is poor.

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[Sneederbunk]

1. If they were told once, they were told a hundred times.

Use only trained rune carvers.