Very fewElder Futharkinscriptions in theGothic language have been found in the territory historically settled by theGoths (Wielbark culture,Chernyakhov culture). Due to the earlyChristianization of the Goths, theGothic alphabet replacedrunes by the mid-4th century.
There are about a dozen candidate inscriptions, and only three of them are widely accepted to be of Gothic origin: the gold ring of Pietroassa, bearing a votive inscription, part of a larger treasure found in theRomanianCarpathians, and two spearheads inscribed with what is probably the weapon's name, one found in theUkrainian Carpathians, and the other in eastern Germany, near theOder.
A gold ring (necklace) was found in 1837 inPietroassa (rectePietroasele, south-eastRomania,Buzău County), dated to ca. AD 400, bearing anElder Futhark inscription of 15 runes. The ring was stolen in 1875, and clipped in two with pliers by a Bucharest goldsmith. It was recovered, but the 7th rune is now destroyed. The inscription reads:
ᚷᚢᛏᚨᚾᛁ [?] ᚹᛁ ᚺᚨᛁᛚᚨᚷ gutani [?] wi hailag
In pre-1875 drawings and descriptions the missing rune was read asothala (ᛟ),[1], givingᚷᚢᛏᚨᚾᛁᛟᚹᛁ ᚺᚨᛁᛚᚨᚷ (gutaniowi hailag). This was interpreted in various ways:
The identity of the 7th rune as othala had been called into question until a photograph, taken for London'sArundel Society before the ring was vandalised, was republished, showing clearly that othala is correct.[3]. How to interpretgutanio remains a matter of some dispute amongrunologists, however.[4]
The head of a lance, found in 1858Suszyczno,[5] 30 km fromKovel,Ukraine, dated to the early 3rd century.[6][7]
The spearhead measures 15.5 cm with a maximal width of 3.0 cm. Both sides of the leaf were inlaid with silver symbols. The inscription notably runs right to left, readingtilarids, interpreted as "thither rider" or, more likely,Ziel-Reiter ("target rider" in modern German),[8] the name either of a warrior, or of the spear itself. It is identified as East Germanic (Gothic) because of the nominative-s (in contrast toProto-Norse-z).Thet andd are closer to the Latin alphabet than to the classical Elder Futhark, as it were <TᛁᛚᚨᚱᛁDᛊ>.
An 1880 casting of the spearhead is exhibited in Berlin, an 1884 casting in Warsaw. The original was looted by Nazi archaeologists from its Polish owner in 1939 and it was lost altogether at the end of World War II.
The head of a lance, found in Dahmsdorf-Müncheberg, inBrandenburg betweenBerlin and theOder River, inscribed withᚱᚨᚾᛃᚨ (ranja) (Ulfilan𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌾𐌰 [rannja], “router”).[9]
Spindle whorl found inLețcani,Romania, dated to the 4th century.
ᚨᛞᛟᚾᛊᚢᚠᚺᛖ ᛬ᚱᚨᛜᛟ᛬ adonsufhe :rango:
Silver buckle found inSzabadbattyán,Hungary, dated to the early 5th century, perhaps referring to the "Mærings" orOstrogoths.[dubious –discuss]
ᛗᚨᚱᛁᛜᛊ mariŋs
