The Einang stone bears an Elder Futhark inscription, written from right to left, in Proto-Norse that has been dated to the 4th century.

[1] It is the oldest runestone still standing at its original location, and it may be the earliest inscription to mention the word runo 'rune'.

Additionally, the verb used in the inscription for the act of inscribing is faihido, which literally means 'painted'.

The reading is: Which translates as: As the stone is placed on a grave mound, it is natural to interpret it as a tombstone.

Why the inscription does not name the buried person, but only the carver of the runes, remains an open question.