Written by John Lounsbury
Who discovered America (the New World) and when? Most believe it was Christopher Columbus in 1492. There is now credible archaeological evidence that the Norse (Vikings) previously reached North America as early as the 10th or 11th century. And the Norse Sagas have been reported to have been documents reviewed by Columbus which helped convince him that sailing west from Europe could be fruitful.
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However, the artifact discussed in this documentary, The Kennsington Rune Stone, has nothing to do with the Viking Norse Sagas which addressed events in the 10th and 11th centuries and include mention of Vinland to the West of Greenland. The subject of this documentary addresses events that might have occurred in the 14th century.
From Wikipedia:
The inscription purports to be a record left behind by Scandinavian explorers in the 14th century (internally dated to the year 1362). There has been a drawn-out debate on the stone’s authenticity, but the scholarly consensus has classified it as a 19th-century hoax since it was first examined in 1910, with some critics directly charging the purported discoverer Ohman with fabricating the inscription.[1] Nevertheless there remains a community convinced of the stone’s authenticity.[2]
From Wikipedia we have the map showing the water route from Hudson Bay to Kennsington, MN. Note the geographical relationship to the proven Norse settlement centuries earlier at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, approximately 1,500 miles to the northeast.
Here is a map from Google showing the relationship of Hudson Bay to Greenland, occuppied by the Norse for centuries (late 10th century to early 15th century).
The date on the Kennsington Rune Stone is 1362 AD, at least 150 years before the Norse abandoned their Greenland settlements.
The documentary below features geologist Scott Wolter who has scientifically proven that none (repeat NONE) of the opinions that the stone is a hoax can be correct. Geologic science proves all are completely wrong.
What Scott Wolter cannot prove is that the Kennsington Rune Stone was left by Norse explorers in the 14th century. What he has proven is that it has an age such that no modern settler in the 19th century could have created the stone. And also proven is that the stone is native to Minnesota.
Source: YouTube.
For those who want a more detailed review of the history of the Kennsington Rune Stone, we have included the following video: 1362 Enigma: Documentary of the Vikings arrival in Kensington Minnesota.
Source: YouTube
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