The granite runestone of Sigtuna's St. Lars church ruin

Standing tall in the heart of Sigtuna is a runestone from the middle of the 1000s, measuring 230 cm in height and up to 55 cm thick. This granite monolith once served as a foundation stone in the northern wall of St. Lars church, a now-ruined structure. The runestone was unearthed in 1956 during excavation works in Stadsparken, Sigtuna's central park. Due to pressure, the stone had broken into six parts, and since being repaired, it has been moved to its present location.

Today, it stands 192 cm above ground, with a breadth that varies from 123 cm at its base to 80 cm at its narrowest point at the top. A layer of red paint, preserved as lead paint, can still be seen on the runestone, hinting at its installation in the church ground just a few decades after it was carved, providing an approximate dating for the church's construction. The carving on the stone is the work of a skilled and artistically competent carver, sharing similarities with other renowned carvers like U 255, U 267, U 269, and U 674, lending credence to the belief that the runestone was crafted by Fot.

In the inscription, it is written, 'Anundr let ræisa stæin þenna at sik kvik[va]n,' which translates to 'Anund allowed the erection of this stone after himself, while he was alive.'

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons