Norway archaeologists find 'world's oldest runestone'

  • Thread starter Thread starter Astronuc
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the discovery of a runestone in Norway, which is claimed to be the world's oldest, with inscriptions dating back to between A.D. 1 and 250. The conversation explores the implications of this find for the understanding of runic writing and its historical context.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the runestone was discovered during an excavation near Tyrifjord and suggest that the items found with it indicate a date range for the inscriptions.
  • Others highlight the claim that this runestone is "several hundred centuries older than similar earliest known artifacts," questioning the accuracy of this statement.
  • A participant makes a humorous comment about the pronunciation of "ruin," linking it to the excavation process.
  • It is mentioned that the inscriptions are apparently in Proto-Germanic, which some find particularly interesting.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of skepticism regarding the claims made about the age of the runestone and its significance, indicating that multiple competing views remain regarding the implications of this discovery.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions about the accuracy of the dating and the implications of the findings, as well as the definitions of terms used in the discussion.

Astronuc
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
2025 Award
Messages
22,518
Reaction score
7,469
The runestone was discovered in the fall of 2021 during an excavation of a grave near Tyrifjord, west of Oslo, in a region known for several monumental archaeological finds. Items in the cremation pit — burnt bones and charcoal — indicate that the runes likely were inscribed between A.D. 1 and 250.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/archaeologists-in-norway-find-worlds-oldest-runestone

https://apnews.com/article/norway-oslo-31524a0dbb0405b08fb2fba6ffafdfaa
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Archaeologists in Norway said Tuesday that have found a runestone which they claim is the world’s oldest, saying the inscriptions are up to 2,000 years old and date back to the earliest days of the enigmatic history of runic writing.

The flat, square block of brownish sandstone has carved scribbles, which may be the earliest example of words recorded in writing in Scandinavia, the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo said. It said it was “among the oldest runic inscriptions ever found” and “the oldest datable runestone in the world.”
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DennisN and LittleSchwinger
Science news on Phys.org
At 2000 years, it was said to be "several hundred centuries older than similar earliest known artifacts."

Oops.
 
I hope that when the archeologists were digging it up, they didn't "rune" it...

My ex-wife used to pronounce "ruin" that way; i.e., one syllable rather than two.
 
Reply
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: DennisN
It's apparently in Proto-Germanic. Pretty interesting find.
 

Similar threads

News Archaeologists discover world’s oldest wooden structure
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K