Kensington Runestone

The Kensington Runestone is a slab of carved stone discovered in 1898 near Kensington in Minnesota; the inscription purports to record a Norse expedition dated to 1362.

The stone’s discovery was made public in the late 19th century and since then its authenticity has been the subject of extensive debate; many scholars regard it as a 19th-century creation, while a minority argue for a pre-Columbian origin. The artifact is exhibited at the Runestone Museum in nearby Alexandria where interpretation covers both the find history and the scholarly controversy.

The original find location is in rural western Minnesota and the stone remains one of the best-known disputed runic objects in North American public history.

• Controversy and discovery: Discovered in 1898 by Olof Olman, the stone bears runic text that claims a 14th-century Scandinavian presence in inland North America; its authenticity is widely debated among scholars and archaeologists.

What to See #

• The Runestone artifact: The Kensington Runestone artifact itself, a slab of carved greywacke with a runic inscription allegedly describing a Norse expedition dated to 1362.
• Runestone Museum (Alexandria, Minnesota): Runestone Museum in the nearby town of Alexandria where the original stone is displayed along with exhibits on the discovery and debate over its authenticity.