19
Debate: did the Vikings really settle in Oklahoma 1,000 years ago?
I spent last weekend digging through reports on the Heavener Runestone in Oklahoma, and some folks swear it's proof Vikings made it inland way before Columbus. But I also read a 2018 study that said the carvings are just 19th century pranks by settlers. So which is it - genuine artifact or old hoax? I'm leaning toward the hoax side after learning the stone's style doesn't match Norse carvings in Greenland, but has anyone here actually visited the site and got a gut feeling either way?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
taylor_patel1d ago
@charles720 makes a solid point about the weathering. I've seen way too many "ancient" artifacts that look suspiciously fresh in person. If you go, bring a cheap magnifying glass and check the grooves yourself - fresh cuts will look sharp, old ones will be rounded and filled with crust. That's the real test.
4
charles7202d ago
Haha, yeah, I went down that exact rabbit hole a couple years back. I actually drove out to Heavener to see the runestone myself. My gut feeling after standing there? Total hoax. The stone is just sitting there, no signs of a settlement or anything around it. I’m with you on the carvings, they look way too clean and fresh compared to the old Viking stones I’ve seen pictures of in Greenland. Plus, a friend of mine is a geologist, and he pointed out that the local sandstone would’ve worn down a lot more after a thousand years of rain and wind. The whole thing just feels like a 19th century joke that got way out of hand.
0