During the digging to fix the sewer line in Trondheim city centre, a layer from the Middle Ages was discovered. Before the excavation work could continue, it had to be investigated further. – We thought that this was done quickly, says archaeologist Dag-Øyvind Engtrø Solem. But then it turned out that the four-metre-long log they were supposed to examine went over a deep pit. It was forskning.no in collaboration with NIKU (Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research) that discussed the case first. Archaeologist Dag-Øyvind Engtrø Solem stands deep down in the pit where the piece was found. Photo: Audun B. Selfjord / NIKU – Artig waste pit Engtrø Solem was standing deep in the mud when he discovered the piece of soapstone. – We were a bit like “oh, oh, oh”, says Engtrø Solem about when they saw that the piece also had decoration. He himself has studied runology, and thought that some of the lines looked a little suspicious. Runologist Karen Langsholt Holmqvist was contacted. She just as well made the trip to Trondheim to study the chip more closely. See 3D model of the chip: Your browser does not support the embedding of external content Unusual name And it was good, because hidden in the decor a name appeared in runes. – As far as I know, there are 3-4 other playing pieces with names on them that have been found in Norway, says Engtrø Solem. Hidden in the decoration of the piece, you can also see runic inscriptions. Photo: Dag-Øyvind Engtrø Solem / NIKU The name itself is also special. On the chip, “siggs digit” is scratched. – Sig is known in both men’s and women’s names, such as Sigrid and Sigvart, explains Engtrø Solem. But it can also mean victory or war. The last part is not as well known. But the r indicates that “sigsifr” is most likely a male name. – We don’t know the exact combination beforehand at all, explains Engtrø Solem. Here you can see the runes on the playing pieces with explanatory letters. (Screenshot from video of the find). Photo: Dag-Øyvind Engtrø Solem / NIKU Brother of victory or brother of war If you look at the meaning of the name, “sigsifr” can mean brother of victory or brother of war. – It may be that it is just the name of the person who owned the piece or made the piece, says Engtrø Solem . But it could also be the nickname of the chip, in the same way they named weapons. – And then it was a special piece. A gambling-loving merchant According to Engtrø Solem, it was most likely a merchant, a bit high on straw, who carried the playing piece with him. The fact that they had nicely decorated playing pieces with names can show that they were really eager to play, also in the Middle Ages. – There were nerds before too, comments Engtrø Solem. The archaeologist says that they have good dates on the chip. It is from approx. 1000-1150 AD It will now be handed over to the NTNU Science Museum together with the other findings from the excavation.
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A game piece with a runic inscription found in Trondheim – news Trøndelag
