Re: Kensington runestone in the Scandinavian press

m_zalar@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
1118215592.216817.46120@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,

Alaca wrote:
Philip Deitiker wrote:
"m_zalar@xxxxxxxxxxx" says in


Philip Deitiker wrote: 
Who thinks Ohman carved the stone? For some strange reason you
guys seem to think that minnesota was at the south pole. The
fur trade in the region had proceeded for centuries prior to
the Ohman farm, there were oxcart and abandoned fort trails
within site distance of the hill.


As a note, Ft Abercrombie (ND on the Red River) was built in
1858. Any trail there probably used the exsisting Red River Ox
cart trails as a basis, which ran a few miles of the KRS site
These trails began in the 1820s - anytime before that and there
seem to have been no trail or even fur trade that reached into
that area. The Ox Cart trails were used almost exclusively by
Metis travelling between Winnipeg and the Mississippi river
(primarily the Minneapolis/St Paul region).  It is certainly
possible that some Norseman travelled this route, but it seems
highly unlikely (I have kept an eye out for any such report but
have seen none).  The Red River trails should not be considered
some easy highway that anyone could travel at thier leisure -
they were there for a certain specialized trade between two
points, and not in frerquent use.


But the Old Abercrombie trail would have been usable by anyone who
liesure or not, managed to carve a 200 lb stone, and how exactly did
he carry it. So basically some sort of cart is part of the equation.




There is no direct reason to post it here and now,
(apart from the talkabout trails), but some days ago
I have composed a map of the surroundings of the
KRS with shaded relief, which gives (I think) a good
impression of the terrain.
http://tinyurl.com/br5ev
The findspot is in the centre of the map, between Eng Lake
and Solem Lake, on the hillock South-West of the '15'.
(For a broad view, try scale 1:500.000)


Yes, the road that goes by Solem Lake is a good pointer.  It ends at
Co Rd 15 - if you continue west, you will go down the hill on which
Flatten's farm is located and then up the Runestone hill (sort of a
reversed L shape).  Northwest of this locaction, beyond the ridge is
where Ohman's farmhouse is located.  Another farmhouse was located on
the hill to the south of Runestone hill, and to the north of Co Rd
183.

In the light of the story on the stone,
it is not the most obvious place.


It was on my first vist to the hill where I first began to think the
runestone story might be true.  I had done a number of military
history papers (primarily on fortifications) during my college years.
This was a nearly perfect natural defensive position, and reminded me
of an overlarge motte (as in the motte and baily type of castle).
There are several distinct advantages of the location which a band in
hostile territory would find advantageous.  The hill is steep sided,
providing a strong postion in case of attack; it is surrounded (or
nearly surrounded) by water, making a direct assault difficult; and it
has unobstructed lines of sight in all directions so that surprise
attack would be impossible.  In short a group under the conditions
given on the stone, would have found this location irresistible for
setting up a campsite.


Yes, as a strongpoint it seems not bad, but IMO it is
not an obvious place to leave a message (if that was
the character of the KRS)

BTW. I think it is a strange aspect of the story
that they were traveling south, away from their ship.


Let me suggest a scenario.  The group believes they are in Asia,
somewhere near Cathay (as is suggested in the Mercator/Dee letter).


Where is that suggestion?

Inger thinks they were tax-collectors with a clear destination.

They have followed the Red River inland to the first set of
waterfalls, near what is now Fergus Falls, MN, camping on the south
side of the River where the 10 men were attacked and the boats stolen
or destroyed.
Coming back the rest of the men find signs that the
attackers crossed to the north side of the river.
The band sets out in a southerly direction, following the treeline
between forest and prairie, which as best I have been able to
determine runs roughly from Fergus Falls to the Kensington area.


They discover the defensible hill, and set up camp for a few days
before determining their best course of action (which I think may
have been to set out west, crossing through Asia to reach Russia and
eventually Scandinavia).


Walking?

--
- Peter Alaca - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


.

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