NEW: Topgraphic map of Runestone Hill
This past Friday, I was out to the runestone hill site, and attempted to gague sight lines to and from the location of the marker where the the rune stone was found. Along the road which runs to the East of the hill, the marker was in sight from about Nils Flatten's house (essentially due east of the marker), to the corner formed with the road running to the South of the marker, with a brief section near the corner where a hill intervened. The distance from the house to corner is approx 3000 ft, with the hill intevening for roughly 750 ft of that distance. The closest approach was 1600ft from the marker (3/10 mile) while the farthest distance at the corner was about 3500ft (7/10 mile). It should be noted that much of this land was currently under cultivation and any tall growing plant such as wheat or corn, or tall prairie grasses would have obstructed the direct view in late summer.
Going east from the corner, the stone is visible for about 1200ft, at which point the road goes into a steep slope, and the visiblity dissapears for about 500ft, then reappears as the road comes near to the Southern end of the marsh from which the runestone hill rises. The visiblity lasts from about half way down the downslope to near the top of the following upslope, roughly 750ft as viewed on the map, but a greater distance following the contour of the earth. The view becomes obstructed again for roughly 1700ft before being reestablished for another 800ft, then being lost completly. The sum distance from which the marker could be sighted along this road is about 2750ft. There is considerably less chance for obstruction along this road, the land falling off steeply from the roadbed along most of the route, but the distances are greater, ranging from 3000ft (6/10 mile) where the road dips to the marsh, to about 4000ft (8/10 mile) away at the Easternmost sighting.
Additionaly, there is about 1000ft of roadway to the North of the marker, where it is again visible as the road dips down to the marsh (with little possiblity of obstructive vegitation). The road here is about 3000 to 3500ft away from the marker.
Using the Plat maps mentioned in a previous posting, comparing this to the visual sightings from the marker, I was able to determine that there were some seven houses from which any activity at the marker might have been spotted. These include the 2nd house on the Flaten property, and the Schoolhouse to the North. For some of these the distance may have been too great for anything more than a vague view, and others may have been obstructed by crops during the later parts of the growing season. With this in mind, and elimintating the 2nd house on Flaten's property, there are still three residences left: Flaten's house at about 1000ft away from the marker, Olof Klintberg (1886 plat book) or J. Berquist's (1902 plat) home at 3500ft, and Christen Olsen's home about 2000ft away.
It should, of course, be noted that there may not have been anyone residing at these houses, and that the marker may not accurately depict the location where the stone was uncovered, but within these parameters it would still seem to be a high risk environment in which to try and plant the Kensington Rune Stone. The quickest way to have planted the stone would have been to have an iscribed stone and then planted a tree above it, waiting for the tree to mature before 'discovering' the stone, but the apparent age of the tree suggests that this was not the case. Also, this would still run the risk of being seen, and would have been done at a more covert location.
The other possibility, excavating a stone already under the tree, carving it and reinserting it to be found later runs a much higher risk of being spotted, as in addition to the excavation, the tree would have been left exposed while the stone itself was being carved.
The hill itself is swayback, the highest hump rising about 50 ft above the surface of the surrounding marsh, the lower perhaps 5 ft less, the marker for the stone being in the middle of the sway between the two high points. The hill is surrounded on nearly all sides by water, being connected by two land bridges to the surrounding countryside - one to the South which then trails E to what was Nils Flaten's property, the hill on the far side of the land bridge being the approx location of the 2nd house on his land; and another which goes West back to Ohman's house. The southernmost of these bridges is the highest, rising perhaps 10 ft above the marsh, the other rising about 5 ft, except where the road to the stone goes through.
The slopes up to the hill are steepest on the East side, facing Flaten's house, being a difficult uphill climb, and this continues around through most of the South facing, excepting where it joins the land bridge. On the Northwest, and West sides the slopes are somewhat gentler, I guess between 30-45 degrees angle.
The view from the hilltop is excellent thorughout, being roughly 1/2 mile in nearly all directions with the exception of that towards Flaten's farm where it drops to only about 1000ft.
There is something of a sheltered area on the SE facing of the hill, which extends upwards to the middle of the sway between the seperate hill tops. A gully runs down here, probably drainage from spring runnoff, and the hill is indented near the marsh level.
These features suggest a possible recreation of what might have happened if the stone is authentic. Coming from Lake Oscar at the end of a large chain of interconnected or nearly interconnected lakes, the norse arrive at the marsh east of Eng Lake near days end. A brief exploration shows no easy outlet to the area, so they camp.
There is something of an inlet on the large island in the middle of the swamp, into which they pull there boat, the shoulders of the hill blocking it from easy view and perhaps they cover it with grasses as well to hide it. The camp, probably without fire, is in the gully area again hidden from all but about a 60 degree angle of sight. They post guards at the tops of the two hills, where the surrounding countryside can be easily seen.
In the morning, still not finding an egress to this dead end, then send out an exploratory party to try and find another way out. There is probably some depression in the camp, and so when a suitable stone is found, the decision is made to inscribe a marker, risking the possiblity of being found with the need to leave something behind. After all, the hill is defensible, and better to fight here rather than being ambushed on the trail.
The face of the stone is carved this first day. The exploratory party comes back with no positive information - the chain of lakes is at an end. Another attempt is made the next day, and the side of the stone, with information on their shipmates at the sea is inscribed. Perhaps the second day the news is a little better. No lakes, but a string of marshes to the south at least give the possibility of leading to an outlet, or perhaps they decide to leave the boat and make their way on foot. They raise the stone near the top of the gully that evening, and the next day set off to an unknown future.