Healing crystals and gemstones have been used for thousands of years by ancient civilizations; the Egyptians, Aztecs, and others incorporated healing stones into jewelry, cosmetics, decorative statues, amulets, and much more--a testament to the powerful ability of gemstones to release mental, physical, and spiritual blockages.
Rune stones are an ancient proto-Germanic tradition dating back to potentially the 1st century AD. They consist of a runic alphabet of 24 letters, usually made out of wood or stone that were used as a method of fortune-telling and protection sigils. The first completion of the total alphabet was the Elder Futhark runes in the 5th century AD, that are most often used still today, and then the Younger Futhark stones were adapted by the Vikings and other Nordic tribes and continued until Medieval times. They are said to be based off of Old Latin inscriptions. Runes stones are full of powerful and magical history, and so were highly venerated and used with extreme caution. In the Norse cultures and across other Northern Europeans, it was believed that they held strong divinatory powers and as such were taken very seriously.
Great works of art were created in wood during the entire Middle Ages, eg in Cathedrals, Abbeys and other Church connected sites. These works demonstrated both craftsmanship and artistry. Wood-carving examples of the first eleven centuries of CE are rare due to the fact that woods do decay easily in 1,000 years.
