Study › Runes & Norse › The Svingerud Runestone
The Svingerud Runestone, found near Oslo, Norway, is the oldest known datable runestone, from between 50 BCE and 275 CE.
What is the Svingerud Runestone?
The Svingerud Runestone is the oldest known datable runestone. It was unearthed during archaeological excavations of an ancient burial site at Hole, west of Oslo, Norway, between 2021 and 2023, and has been radiocarbon-dated to between 50 BCE and 275 CE, making it about 2,000 years old. The main inscribed fragment measures approximately 31 × 32 cm, is about 6.5 cm thick, and weighs about 8–10 kg. Together with additional fragments discovered later, the reconstructed stone weighs about 107 kg. The sandstone bears some of the earliest known runic inscriptions, although parts of the text remain difficult to interpret. Its discovery has shown that runes were carved on stone earlier than previously believed.
Read the Elder Futhark and the Kylver Stone.
Questions
How old is the Svingerud Runestone?
About 2,000 years: radiocarbon-dated to between 50 BCE and 275 CE.
Where was it found?
At Hole, west of Oslo, Norway.