In 2001, a carving expert and her geologist father found the AVM Runestone, told the press that it was proof of early Viking or Norse settlement in Minnesota,[1] and began an investigation to prove its authenticity.
Investigating a small island in a lake on the farm of Arlen and Ruby Sabolik, about 400 metres (1/4 mile) from the 1898 find site, on May 13, Westin found the carved letters "AVM" on a lichen-covered, pinkish-brown granite gneiss boulder[2] (about 110 cm or 43 inches long, weighing perhaps a tonne[3]) which they had inspected previously in different light conditions.
Two weeks later, they returned to the site with Minneapolis geologist Scott Wolter and removed lichen to reveal more inscribed characters: the date 1363 in the same pentadic numerals as seen on the Kensington Runestone and a second line of three runes, possibly "ASU", "XSU" or "XSV".
The state archaeologist, Mark Dudzik, was skeptical, maintaining the position that it was "just not logical" to believe that Scandinavian explorers — who, he argued, specialized in exploiting resources along coastlines — had penetrated to Minnesota in the 1360s.
They explained that in June 1985, while students at the University of Minnesota, they and three friends (who chose to remain anonymous) had carved the AVM stone with a hammer and chisel[2] as a test of willingness to believe in mystery artifacts (and "for fun").
[2] Breaking the news on November 5 on behalf of the Special Committee, Scott Wolter — who had found "specific points that bothered me" during his scientific investigation — accepted the confession, saying "I give them credit for coming forward and admitting it."