Runic inscribed cow rib from The Earl’s Bu, Orphir

The runes translate as: (This?) bone was…

Runes, from the Old Norse word rúna, are symbols engraved onto a hard surface such as stone, wood or bone, each one representing a unit of sound. Using runes, the Norse communicated a written form of Old Norse, enabling experts to interpret the approximate meaning of the carvings. These carvings can be simple messages and prayers to curses and epitaphs.