( CNN ) An ancient ring has shed new light on the ties between Vikings and the Islamic world , more than a century after its discovery . The finger ring found in a 9th century Swedish grave is inscribed with Arabic Kufic writing . The letters appear to read `` AL_LLH , researchers say , which they interpret as meaning `` for/to ( the approval of ) Allah . '' In a paper published in the journal Scanning , the researchers say it is the only ring with an Arabic inscription ever found at a Scandinavian archaeological site . The object was originally discovered during a late 19th century grave excavation in the town of Birka , on Björkö island , about 19 miles ( 30 kilometers ) from Stockholm . Birka was a key trading center during the Viking age and made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 . The ring is part of the Swedish History Museum 's collection , originally cataloged as being made of gilded silver and violet amethyst , bearing the inscription `` Allah . '' Researchers led by Stockholm University biophysicist Sebastian Wärmländer say they used `` scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy ( EDS ) to analyze the ring 's composition and found that it was in fact made of silver alloy and the `` amethyst '' was colored glass . `` For the stone , we must remember that even though colored glass might today be perceived as a 'fake ' material of lower value , this was not necessarily so in the past , '' the team cautioned . `` Even though glass production began around 5,000 years ago in the Levant it was still an exotic material in Viking Age Scandinavia . '' More significantly , the researchers found no trace of the gold that had been assumed to coat the ring and noted the presence of filing marks . `` Together with the absence of gold on the metal surface ... the file marks clearly show that the previous description of the ring as gilded was mistaken : if the surface had been gilt and the gold layer had worn away , also the file markings would be gone . But the metal surface displays no wear , and as the original file marks are still in place , this ring has never been much used . '' The team , therefore , believes the ring was passed from an Arabic silversmith to the woman , with few or any other owners in between . While imported coins were also found in the grave -- many from Afghanistan -- they were `` usually worn and torn ... from passing many hands along the established trade routes '' researchers said . The owner of the ring was found wearing traditional Scandinavian clothing , but the researchers said it was impossible to determine her ethnicity due to the decomposed state of the bones in the grave . `` It is not impossible that the woman herself , or someone close to her , might have visited -- or even originate from -- the Caliphate ( which then stretched from Tunisia to the borders of India ) or its surrounding regions , '' they said . While travel between the Islamic caliphate and the Viking world was recorded in ancient texts , tales of such journeys often included references to `` giants and dragons '' making it hard to tell fact from fiction , the researchers said . `` The importance of the studied Birka ring is that it most eloquently corroborates ancient tales about direct contacts between Viking Age Scandinavia and the Islamic world . Such contacts must have facilitated exchange of goods , culture , ideas , and news much more efficiently than indirect trade involving several merchants in-between , '' they concluded . Modern relationship . This new evidence of ancient ties between the Vikings and the caliphate comes at a time when Sweden 's relationship with the modern Islamic world seems to be problematic . The country 's foreign minister , Margot Wallstrom , has recently come under scrutiny after criticizing human rights in Saudi Arabia . In January , she tweeted that the flogging of blogger Raif Badawi was `` a cruel attempt to silence modern forms of expression , '' which needed to be stopped . Saudi Arabia blocked Wallstrom from giving a speech to the Arab League in Cairo on March 9 , in which she planned to refer to human rights and the rights of women . Sweden subsequently announced that it would not renew its memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia on military cooperation -- and in turn Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates withdrew their ambassadors to Sweden . The United Arab Emirates said it had summoned Sweden 's ambassador to protest `` the abusive remarks by the Foreign Minister of Sweden , Margot Wallstrom , against Saudi Arabia . ''
Swedish researchers have used scanning to examine a ring found in a Viking grave . The ring carries an Arabic inscription thought to be `` for/to ( the approval of ) Allah, may he live forever and ever. Their analysis suggests the ring was little worn , meaning trade ties could have been close .