Before Columbus: Proof of Vikings in North America

The primary historic evidence supporting Viking presence in North America around 1000 AD is based on archaeological findings, particularly at the site of L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada.

Here’s a breakdown of the key evidence:

1. L'Anse aux Meadows Site

• Location: Newfoundland, Canada
• Description: Excavated in the 1960s, L'Anse aux Meadows is widely accepted as the site of a Viking settlement, dating back to around 1000 AD.
• Findings:
  • Artifacts: Several artifacts of Norse origin have been found, including:
  • • A bronze cloak pin similar to those used by Vikings in Greenland and Iceland.
    • Iron nails and rivets consistent with Viking ironworking techniques, used for ship repair or construction.
  • Iron Production Evidence: Evidence of an iron forge, with iron slag and a furnace, indicates metalworking—a skill not practiced by indigenous peoples of the region at that time.
• Dating: Radiocarbon dating of the remains places the site’s occupation around 990 to 1050 AD, matching the period Norse sagas describe as the time of Vinland exploration.
• Source:
  • Ingstad, Helge and Anne Stine. The Viking Discovery of America: The Excavation of a Norse Settlement in L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland. Check other academic sources like American Antiquity and National Geographic.

2. Structural Similarities

• Description: Rectangular and L-shaped home foundations (featuring turf walls and wooden construction) discovered in Newfoundland—and literally non-existent anywhere else in North America for that period—were compared with known Viking foundations in Iceland and Greenland, revealing a virtual exact match in both size and shape.
• Source:
  • The program, titled "Vikings Unearthed," was a collaboration between PBS's NOVA and the BBC, first aired in April 2016. It featured the work of Dr. Sarah Parcak, a space archaeologist who employs satellite imagery to detect archaeological sites. 

3. Icelandic Sagas

• Description: The Icelandic sagas, particularly the Saga of the Greenlanders and Erik the Red's Saga, describe voyages to a land west of Greenland, called Vinland, where Leif Erikson and other Norse explorers encountered a fertile region with abundant resources.
• Limitations: While the sagas were recorded in the 13th century, over two hundred years after the events (and 300 years before Columbus), they are nonetheless considered to contain valuable historical information, corroborated by the archaeological findings at L'Anse aux Meadows.
• Source:
  • Magnusson, Magnus, and Hermann Pálsson, trans. The Vinland Sagas: The Norse Discovery of America. Penguin Books, 1965.

Faroe Islands created these two stamps:

4. Genetic Evidence

• Description: Some genetic studies suggest potential Norse genetic influence in indigenous populations of Greenland and Eastern Canada. However, this evidence is still debated and does not conclusively point to Norse presence in continental North America.
• Source:
  • Moreno-Mayar, J. V., et al. "Early human dispersals within the Americas." Science, 2018.

5. Butternut Wood and Other Botanical Evidence

• Description: Butternuts (Juglans cinerea) and wood from butternut trees, which do not grow in Newfoundland but are found further south, were discovered at L'Anse aux Meadows. This implies that the Norse likely traveled farther south in North America, beyond Newfoundland.
• Source:
  • Wallace, Birgitta Linderoth. "L'Anse aux Meadows and Vinland: An Archaeological Perspective." Journal of the North Atlantic, 2003.

Why Did the Vikings Leave?

There are several key reasons historians believe Vikings did not establish a permanent presence in North America. Here are just a few theories:

1. Hostile Relations with Indigenous Peoples: The Vikings likely encountered strong resistance from Indigenous groups, whom they called "Skrælings." Accounts from the Vinland Sagas describe conflicts with the local populations, which may have deterred further settlement efforts due to the dangers posed by these hostilities.

2. Isolation and Lack of Support: The settlements in North America, such as L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, were far from the Viking homelands. This distance made it difficult to sustain regular supplies, reinforcements, and communication, which were necessary for a successful long-term settlement.

3. Limited Resources: While North America offered rich resources, the Vikings may not have found enough of the specific materials they needed to make settlement viable, such as easy access to iron for tools and weapons. Without a sustainable infrastructure, they would struggle to maintain the settlement.

Others believe that some of the Vikings stayed and traveled inland throughout what is now known as Canada and the United States.

Indigenous Oral Histories

Indigenous oral traditions and legends, especially among tribes in the northeastern and central regions of North America, sometimes describe interactions with light-skinned people. These accounts were often recorded by ethnographers, missionaries, or early settlers and are preserved in collections of Native American stories and legends. However, the interpretations of these accounts vary, as oral histories can be fluid and symbolic rather than strict historical records. Examples include:

• Mandan Tribe Legends: The Mandan, a tribe from the Missouri River region, had legends describing individuals with lighter skin, some of whom had blue or green eyes. This was documented in the 19th century by explorers like George Catlin, an American painter and ethnographer.
• Algonquin and Other Northeastern Tribes: Some stories from Algonquin-speaking tribes reference interactions with foreign, light-skinned people on the coast. These were recorded by early settlers and ethnographers, although the details are often vague and open to interpretation.

Summary

The discovery of L'Anse aux Meadows remains the only conclusive archaeological evidence that Norse explorers reached North America around 1000 AD. The sagas provide contextual narratives that align with these findings, while additional clues like butternut remnants suggest exploration beyond this northern site. This evidence is widely accepted in scholarly circles as confirmation of a Viking presence in North America during the early 11th century.

Recommended Sources for Further Study:

• Ingstad, Helge, and Anne Stine Ingstad. The Viking Discovery of America.
• Wallace, Birgitta Linderoth. Westward Vikings: The Saga of L'Anse aux Meadows.
• Magnusson, Magnus, and Hermann Pálsson, trans. The Vinland Sagas.
• Wallace, Birgitta. "L'Anse aux Meadows and Vinland: An Archaeological Perspective," Journal of the North Atlantic, 2003.