“In 1898, a Minnesota farmer clearing trees from his field uprooted a large stone covered with mysterious runes. Now known as the Kensington Runestone, it details the journey of land acquisition and murder…in the year 1362. Thought by some to be a hoax, new evidence suggests it could be real, and a clue that the Knights Templar discovered America 100 years before Columbus, perhaps bringing with them history’s greatest treasure…The Holy Grail.”

This is the synopsis of a new documentary which will air on the History Channel this fall.

Andy and Maria Awes with Committee Films, which is based in the Twin Cities, along with a crew of about 30, spent the day at Kensington Runestone Park recently – filming the story of the Kensington Runestone.

The History Channel special investigates a story that begins in medieval Europe and culminates in a present day search for answers, according to Maria Awes.

The Kensington Runestone is a slab of greywacke covered in runes on its face and side which, if it is genuine, would suggest that Scandinavian explorers reached the middle of North America in the 14th century. It was found in 1898 in the largely rural township of Solem, Douglas County, Minnesota, and named after the nearest settlement, Kensington. Runologists and linguists consider the runestone to be a hoax.
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