Vikings were in the Americas 500 years before Columbus who, ‘In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.’
Wooden artifacts show the Vikings were living in the Americas by at least the year 1021.
These artifacts were found at the Norse settlement L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland
Until this discovery in 2021, it was only a guess as to when the Vikings first set foot on the Americas. Now, a new study which used wooden artifacts and knowledge of solar storms has helped provide the first definitive date – 1021.
The Vikings lived in Newfoundland 1,000 years ago.
To determine the date of Viking settlement, scientists went to L’Anse aux Meadows at the northern tip of Newfoundland. L’Anse aux Meadows is the only conclusively identified Viking settlement in the Americas and contains artifacts which date from the eighth to the 11th century.
A geoscientist from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, Dr Michael Dee and his team, examined three pieces of wood collected there in the 1970s which bore clear markings of metal tools.
“The local people didn’t use metal tools,” explained Margot Kuitems, a member of Dee’s team and an archaeologist at the University of Groningen.
The Vikings had made the cut.
The team then searched for evidence of solar storms. One such storm, called a Miyake event, had happened between 992 and 993.
These storms send cosmic rays to earth and leave unusually high levels of radioactive carbon in trees.
“The distinct uplift in radiocarbon production which occurred between 992 and 993 A.D. has been detected in tree-ring archives from all over the world,” explained Dr Dee.
If they could find evidence of such carbon, they could pinpoint when the Vikings had cut the wood.
All the artifacts showed evidence of a solar storm, 29 rings from the tree bark’s edge.
“Finding the signal from the solar storm 29 growth rings in from the bark allowed us to conclude the cutting activity took place in the year 1021 AD,” said Kuitems.
In other words, the Vikings arrived in L’Anse aux Meadows shortly after the solar storm. Scientists suspect they lived there for about 13 years before pulling up stakes and returning to Greenland.
“This is the first time the date has been scientifically established,” Kuitems explained.
“Previously the date was based only on sagas — oral histories that were written down in the 13th century, at least 200 years after the events they described took place.”
Skraeling
In these stories, known as the Icelandic Sagas, Viking lore describes fantastical events as well as encounters with Indigenous Americans, whom they called skraeling, thought to mean “wearer of animal skins.”
“They were short in height with threatening features and tangled hair on their heads,” one account says. “Their eyes were large and their cheeks broad.”
Another depicts how Indigenous people attacked Vikings arriving by ship.
“I have been wounded under my arm. An arrow flew between the edge of the ship and the shield into my armpit.” one character says in the saga.
“Here is the arrow, and this wound will cause my death.”
Dr Dee said his new study will help “anchor” the Icelandic Sagas.
He added, however, the 1021 date is a bit later than expected.
Other Viking sagas suggest the Vikings were in Iceland and later Greenland, as early as 870 and when they arrived in Iceland, were met by Gaelic monks from a Hiberno-Scottish mission. These monks soon left because they did not wish to live ‘among the heathens.’
Forced Christianity
Christianity started to spread among the Icelanders and later, Greenlanders at the end of the 10th century.
The adoption of the new faith by the whole population was the consequence of a compromise between the Christian and heathen chieftains, as well as the lawspeaker, at the national assembly of 999 or 1000.
Initially missionary bishops and priests of foreign origin composed the clergy, but the number of local priests quickly increased.
The Lutheran form of the Reformation which was introduced in Iceland between 1541 and 1551 caused fundamental changes in Church life, spirituality and culture. For instance, the bulk of Church estates was confiscated and the cult of saints was abolished.
The first Icelandic translation of the New Testament was published in 1540, and of the whole Bible in 1584.
(With assistance from a paper by Dr Margot Kuitems)
John Skinner served as an infantry soldier in Vietnam then the Tasmanian Police before taking up the position of CEO of the Australian Rough Riders Association (professional rodeo based in Warwick Qld). Before retirement to his small farm, he was a photo-journalist for 25 years. He is married with 3 children and 7 grandchildren.
