In Norway, archaeologists discovered a flat, square block of a brownish runestone, which they claim to be the world’s oldest due to its over 2,000-year-old inscriptions. The stone measures 31 by 32 cm in size (12.2 inches by 12.3 inches).
According to the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, this runestone may be the first instance of written words in Scandinavia. According to AP, this brown runestone is the oldest datable in the world and one of ‘the earliest runic inscriptions ever uncovered.’
Kristel Zilmer, a professor at the University of Oslo said, ‘This will give us a lot of knowledge about the use of runes in the early iron age. This may be one of the first attempts to use runes in Norway and Scandinavia on stone.’
The runestone was initially found in late December 2021 during an excavation of a grave near Tyrifjord, in West Oslo. The stone has several types of inscriptions but does not make all linguistic sense.
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