In the city of Mandal in Norway this month, a unique Rune stone has been found, and experts are examining it in an attempt to figure out if it marks a burial site. This is the first rune stone discovered in Norway since 1947, and the find is described as a sensation by the experts.

However, the style of writing is different from earlier finds, and the several lines of runes cut into the face of the stone are proving more difficult to desipher.

It has been determined that one sentence begins “Ek Naudigastir” (I Naudagistr), and it is believed Naugadistr is a man’s name. Under the rune stone there is also another large stone, which may cover what the experts believe to be a grave, since another grave was discovered on the same property around 20 years ago.

The other Scandinavian Rune Stones that have been discovered are written with the late 16-character futhark alphabet, and date from the 11th century. Older stones and inscriptions in the early 24-character futhark are much less common, and their messages are usually far less straight-forward.

Check out our Runes Pages for more information on the different alphabets.