第1754-f期:Researchers Discover World's Oldest Runestone

esearchers in Norway say they have found what they believe is the world’s oldest runestone – a stone with ancient writing on it.

挪威的研究人员表示，他们发现了他们认为是世界上最古老的如尼文石——一块刻有古代文字的石头。

Runes are the characters in several Germanic alphabets. These characters were used in northern Europe from ancient times until the change to the Latin alphabet. The exact origin of runic writing is unclear.

符文是几个日耳曼字母表中的字符。 这些字符自古以来就在北欧使用，直到更改为拉丁字母。 符文文字的确切起源尚不清楚。

The Norwegian researchers say the writing on the runestone could be up to 2000 years old.

挪威研究人员表示，符文石上的文字可能已有 2000 年历史。

The runestone is square and flat. The runes carved into it may represent the earliest example of recorded words in Scandinavia, the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo said.

符文石呈方形，扁平。 奥斯陆文化历史博物馆表示，刻在上面的如尼文可能代表了斯堪的纳维亚半岛最早的文字记载。

It said it was “among the oldest runic inscriptions ever found” and “the oldest datable runestone in the world.”

它说它是“有史以来发现的最古老的符文铭文之一”和“世界上最古老的可数据符文石”。

Kristel Zilmer is a professor at University of Oslo, of which the museum is part. Zilmer told The Associated Press, “This find will give us a lot of knowledge about the use of runes in the early Iron Age. This may be one of the first attempts to use runes in Norway and Scandinavia on stone.”

Kristel Zilmer 是奥斯陆大学的教授，该博物馆是奥斯陆大学的一部分。 齐尔默告诉美联社，“这一发现将为我们提供大量有关铁器时代早期符文使用的知识。 这可能是挪威和斯堪的纳维亚半岛在石头上使用符文的首次尝试之一。”

Runes have been found on stones and on home goods. Older runes have been found on other objects, also, but not on stone. The oldest known runic writing is on a hair tool made from bone. It was found in Denmark.

在石头和家居用品上发现了符文。 在其他物体上也发现了更古老的符文，但不是在石头上。 已知最古老的符文书写在用骨头制成的头发工具上。 它是在丹麦发现的。

Zilmer said that the ancient writer might have used a knife or needle to make the runes.

齐尔默说，这位古代作家可能用刀或针来制作符文。

The runestone was discovered in the fall of 2021 during a dig in Tyrifjord, west of Oslo. The area is known for several major archaeological finds.

这块如尼符文石是 2021 年秋天在奥斯陆以西的 Tyrifjord 进行挖掘时发现的。 该地区以几项重大考古发现而闻名。

Zilmer explained that the find was announced late because researchers needed time to study “and date the runestone.”

Zilmer 解释说，这一发现的公布时间较晚，因为研究人员需要时间来研究“符文石并确定其年代”。

Measuring 31 centimeters by 32 centimeters, the stone has several kinds of writings. Not all of them make sense. Eight runes on the front of the stone read “idiberug” — which could be the name of an individual or family.

这块石头长 31 厘米，宽 32 厘米，上面刻有多种文字。 并非所有这些都有意义。 石头正面的八个符文写着“idiberug”——可以是个人或家庭的名字。

Zilmer called the discovery “the most sensational thing that I, as an academic, have had.” Sensational means causing great excitement.

齐尔默称这一发现是“作为一名学者，我所经历过的最轰动的事情”。 耸人听闻的意思是引起极大的兴奋。

There is still a lot of research to be done on the rock, named Svingerud stone after where it was found.

在这块岩石上还有很多研究要做，根据它的发现地命名为 Svingerud 石头。

“Without doubt, we will obtain valuable knowledge about the early history of runic writing,” Zilmer added.

“毫无疑问，我们将获得有关符文书写早期历史的宝贵知识，”齐尔默补充道。

The Museum of Cultural History is holding a public showing of the runestone for a month. The museum holds Norway’s largest collection of historical objects, from ancient times to modern-day.

文化历史博物馆将举行为期一个月的符文石公开展示。 该博物馆拥有挪威最大的历史文物收藏，从古代到现代。