There are so far eight fragments belonging to five different runestones. The fragments have been found at different times and in different places at Birka.

The town of Birka existed in the years 750-980

Before the year 1000, when Birka existed, runestones were rare. The really great era of rune stones in Mälardalen starts at the beginning of the year 1000. At that time, almost every reputable farm would have at least one rune stone of its own.

The finds at Birka are more than these fragments to five runestones, also U 5a and U 5b and U 4 from Borg are from Birka. Only runestone U 6 from Björkö village we know for sure was carved after Birka's period.

Although we have not yet examined all of Birka's cultivation mounds where stones of this type are laid out, we still have parts for no less than 8 rune stones.

This is very strange to me.
What are we seeing?

- Are these the remains of a workshop for runestones at Birka?

- Could you order your own runestone that was carved here and which you then took home?

- Are these remnants of failed stones that broke during the work, and if so where are the ones that didn't break?

The answers can be found in these cultivation mounds!

There are certainly many more runestone fragments there, fragments that can be put together and give us answers to why all of these are here at Birka. Perhaps these runic inscriptions can also give us a little more knowledge about the area and about the Viking Age?

Links

Upplands runinskrifter > Page 10
(Only in Swedish)

Om två av fragmenten 1914 >
(Only in Swedish)

Runor >  Riksantikvarieämbetet

Google map > Find the city of Birka

kalle@runristare.se
If you want to be of help or have a question.
 

ALL RUNESTONES

Ekerö municipality

ADELSÖ >
has 5 known runestones

BIRKA >
has fragments from 9 known runestones

MUNSÖ >
has 3 or 4 known runestones

EKERÖ >
has 11 known runestones

FÄRINGSÖ >
has 27 known runestones

LOVÖ >
has 8 known runestones