L'Anse aux Meadows
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Fri 5 Aug 2016 12:11
This was a temporary camp, used for about ten years around 1000AD. The Vikings arrived from the very small Greenland colony established by Erik the Red. For many many years the claim of 'Vinland' in the Icelandic Sagas was held to be a myth, but the discovery of this site in the 1960s and its subsequent archaeological investigation have proved that the Vikings really were here. Two things in particular are utterly compelling - the presence of Scots Pine wood, a tree unknown in North America, and of the remains of iron ship rivets which metallurgical analysis shows to be European. This was Vinland, although the waters were muddied for several years by the absence, even in Viking times, of wild grapes this far north. But the discovery of butternuts in the excavation shows that the Vikings did penetrate several hundred miles further south to New Brunswick at least, where butternut trees grow, along with wild grapes.
Here is the site today:
The people in the middle distance are walking through the village, and a couple of reconstructed buildings can be seen to the left.
Here is one of them, with turf walls and roof with skylight. Remarkably cosy inside:
Butternuts:
Further compelling evidence, if any were now needed, has recently emerged from Iceland. This country has the most complete genetic records of its population in the world, and analysis has just shown that at least one Native American woman arrived in Iceland around 1000 years ago, leaving descendants alive today!
A fantastic site, and VS has been there.
Sent from my iPad