Nearly 2000-Year-Old Runestone Found in Norway

Archaeologists excavating a burial site in Norway have found a runestone that they estimate is about 2,000 years old.

The discovery was made in late 2021 near Tyrifjorden (Lake Tyri), about 40 kilometers northwest of Oslo, by archaeologists from the Museum of Cultural History (Kulturhistorisk Museum) of the University of Oslo. However, since analysis on the remains took a long time, details about the discovery were made public on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

Analyzes of organic materials such as bone and charcoal unearthed from the tomb where the runestone was found show that the runes on the stone were carved between AD 1 and AD 250.

Norwegian archaeologists argue that the discovered runestone is the oldest of its kind. They also expect the discovery to provide clues about the use of runes in the early Nordic Iron Age.

Nearly 2000-Year-Old Runestone Found in Norway — Alexis Pantos/KHM, UiO.

Archaeologists transliterated the script carved into a sandstone with a width and length of just over 30 centimeters as “idiberug”. Additionally, they stated that Idiberug could be the name of a person or family.

Professor Kristel Zilmer from the Department of Archeology at the University of Oslo described the discovery of the runestone as “world news”.¹

It has been reported that the runestone will be exhibited at the Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo for one month starting from January 21, 2023.