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ARCHEOLOGY

Cyclist saves ancient rune stone from being crushed

A passing cyclist has saved a thousand-year-old rune stone from being crushed into tiny pieces, after spotting it by the side of a cycle path being built near Sweden’s Lake Mälaren.

Published: 16 August 2018 07:33 CEST
Cyclist saves ancient rune stone from being crushed
An entirely different runestone. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT
The rune stone was discovered when a digger hit something hard while clearing the way for the cycle path last Thursday, but the construction team didn’t see anything special about it. So they began to make plans to solve the “problem” by crushing the stone. 
 
But on Wednesday, Erik Björkli  realized what the stone was as he was passing by on his bike, and alerted the construction workers. Just over an hour later, Urban Mattsson, the head of conservation and heritage at Södermanland County Council, was at the scene to identify the stone. 
 
“It’s extremely exciting. The find of the year!” Magnus Källström, senior researcher at the Swedish National Heritage Board, told the local Eskilstunakuriren newspaper when shown pictures. 
 
“I recognize that one from the literature. It has very special ornamental art and looks well preserved,” he added.
 
Källström said the stone had been recorded back in 1668 by Johan Peringskiöld, an early antiquarian, but had since been lost. 
 
It bears the text: “INGULV AND VISÄTE RAISED THIS STONE FOR BUGGE AND SIGSTEN. GOD HELP THEIR SOULS”, and an unusual cross design with an interlocking braid pattern.
 
Rune stones, standing stones bearing inscriptions written in runic script, were raised in Sweden between the fourth century the 12th century, mostly to commemorate those who had died. 
 
Mattson said the county council now planned to assess whether to carry out an archeological examination on the site, or whether to move the stone. 
 
Källström said the stone seemed to be in the same place, then called Tidö gärde, as it had been when recorded in the 17th century. 
 
“It should absolutely be raised up again, and ideally near the place where it stood previously,” he said.
 
Cyclist Erik Björklid meanwhile said he hoped that his discovery wouldn’t disturb the cycle path project. 
 
“I hope that there isn’t a whole load of hassle because of all this,” he said. “But this is part of our cultural heritage after all.” 
 
 

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ARCHEOLOGY

5,000 year-old German skeleton find reveals ancient diet and lifestyle

German researchers are piecing together the life of a prehistoric woman who died more than 5,000 years ago in the Neolithic period, after her skeleton was found during excavation works for wind turbines.

Published: 6 November 2020 09:29 CET
5,000 year-old German skeleton find reveals ancient diet and lifestyle
The skeleton of Lady of Bietikow, discovered in Brandenburg. Photo: DPA

The “Lady of Bietikow,” as she has been named, was found near a village of the same name in northeastern Germany's Uckermark region.

The skeleton had been buried in a settlement in a squatting position, one of the oldest known forms of burial, according to local media.

Investigations have shown that she was between 30 and 45 years old and died more than 5,000 years ago.

That means that she lived during the same period as Oetzi the Iceman, the stunningly preserved corpse found by tourists in the Alps in the 1990s.

READ ALSO: German scientists find runes on ancient comb

“You can compare Oetzi and the Lady of Bietikow in terms of age,” said Philipp Roskoschinski, one of the two archaeologists who made the discovery in the state of Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin.

Oetzi was found by two hikers in 1991 in the Oetztal Alps on the border between Austria and Italy.

His body was extremely well preserved, with organs, skin and other organic material still intact — researchers were even able to see what he had eaten hours before he died.

The Uckermark region, which is often dubbed the Toscana of northern Germany. Photo: DPA

“The discovery of Oetzi was much more spectacular due to the conditions of preservation,” Roskoschinski said.

All that is left of Lady Bietikow are bones and some fragments of clothing, but researchers have still managed to piece together some details about her life.

It was during the Neolithic period that humans first introduced grains into their diet, since they could be stored more easily than meat and could also be used as a means of payment, according to anthropologist Bettina Jungklaus.

However, this led to a deterioration in people's general health.

This can be seen in the state of the Lady of Bietikow's teeth, which are severely eroded and missing completely in some places, Jungklaus said.

“Normally there is enamel on the surface of the teeth. But here it is heavily worn, chewed off,” she said.

“This allows us to draw conclusions about her diet: it was probably very rich in fibre, very hard. There are certain grains that cause the teeth to wear out easily.”

It remains unclear whether the condition of Lady Bietikow's teeth indicates an illness or even the cause of her death.

Researchers are now hoping to find out more about her life, including whether she came from the Uckermark region or had immigrated there from elsewhere.

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