Українська
русский
Science

A game element with a runic inscription was discovered in Norway: only two of them were found (photo)

Maxim Karpenko

A game element with a runic inscription was discovered in Norway: only two of them were found (photo)
Game element with runic inscription discovered in Norway

In Norway, a round soapstone game with runes was discovered during an archaeological survey before the repair of a sewer pipe in Trondheim. This is only the second known game element with a runic inscription ever found in Norway.

During the excavations, a deepened pit with archaeological layers of the Middle Ages was discovered. This is reported by The History Blog.

The deepest part of the pit dates back to the period between 1000 and 1150 AD. The coal layer above it was only slightly later and dates back to 1030-1180 AD. A soapstone game piece was found between the two layers.

Read also: Archaeologists in Peru found a 3000-year-old mummy under a pile of rubbish (photos, video)

The archaeologists initially thought that the lines carved on the circular surface could be stylised floral motifs, but the geometry also resembled runic inscriptions, albeit artistically laid out.

The team sent a high-resolution image of the fragment to runologist Karen Langsholt Holmquist. She was so intrigued that she had to see the object in person. It was then that she finally determined that the jewellery was runic writing.

Archaeologists find rare game element with runic inscription in Norway. Source: Dag-Øyvind Engtrø Solem, NIKU
Archaeologists find rare game element with runic inscription in Norway. Source: Dag-Øyvind Engtrø Solem, NIKU

The runes read "siggsifr". This is probably a name that is often found in runic inscriptions on small objects, such as a game piece. "Sig", which means "fight" in Scandinavian, is a prefix for both male and female names.

The letter "r" at the end means that it is a male name. "Sifr" is a poetic metaphor meaning "brother", so perhaps this name meant "brother in arms". The name could indicate the person who owned the game piece or the person who painted it. It could also be an indirect reference to the piece itself, the name of the role it plays, like the equivalent of a knight or bishop in chess.

As a reminder, a Roman military award dating back to 1900 was discovered in Vindoland in northern England.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!