Archaeologists investigating the Svingerud grave field in eastern Norway have identified what is now considered the earliest archaeologically dated rune-stone, a fragmented slab known as the Hole stone.
Radiocarbon evidence places the inscribed pieces between 50 BC and AD 275, pushing the documented use of runes on stone further back than previously confirmed.
The fragments (labelled Hole 1, 2 and 3) contain multiple sequences of runes and rune-like markings. The most prominent inscription on Hole 2, side A, reads “idiberug”.
The eight runes are more clearly incised than surrounding markings, suggesting deliberate emphasis. Scholars propose that idiberug may represent a personal name or designation, possibly linked to a compounded female name such as idibergu, incorporating the Proto-Germanic element -bergō, meaning “protection” or “help.” While alternative grammatical interpretations exist, most researchers currently regard the term as a standalone name.
The carving displays unusual features, including a distinctive multi-pocket “b” rune and an early form of the “e” rune with diagonal branches. These forms contribute valuable data to debates over the development of the older futhark, the earliest runic alphabet of 24 characters.
Adjacent to idiberug appears a shorter sequence beginning with the rune ᛦ (z). The remainder is faint and ambiguous, possibly representing an independent inscription. Elsewhere on Hole 2, additional rows of runes blend with ornamental lines and grid-like markings, complicating interpretation. One short sequence, read as “fuþ,” resembles the opening of the futhark itself, perhaps serving as a symbolic or instructional rendering of the runic series.
On the reverse of Hole 2, 19 rune forms appear, though many lack accompanying vowels. Such consonant-heavy inscriptions are known in early runic contexts and may reflect abbreviated or formulaic writing.
Hole 3 contains a clearer inscription: “ek … fahido runo” — “I … painted/wrote the rune.” The formula parallels other early Scandinavian examples and may identify a female rune-carver, potentially the earliest such record discovered.
Unlike later monumental rune-stones, the Hole fragments feature shallow, layered incisions, suggesting repeated use or multiple carvers. Found in association with graves, the stone may originally have marked a burial before being broken and reused.
Researchers say the find reshapes understanding of early runic literacy and will prompt reassessment of other early rune-stones across Scandinavia, with implications for the chronology and origins of the runic script itself.
Sources : Antiquity – https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.225
