A study led by Kristel Zilmer's team from the University of Oslo has uncovered numerous sandstone fragments bearing ancient runes from Svingerud, an ancient cemetery in Norway. The fragments from the excavation are found in various locations, allowing them to be pieced together like a puzzle.
The discovery represents another step forward in linguists' understanding of runes - an ancient alphabet used by Germanic peoples before Latin. Experts believe that they were buried in different locations to conceal them and make their revelation more complicated.
"The development of runic writing and the practice of inscribing runes on stone are difficult to trace. There is much uncertainty about the earliest uses of runes and how they were employed in both everyday life and ritual practices," explains Zilmer.