For a long time, it was believed that Christopher Columbus was the first to discover America, having reached its shores in 1492. However, in the 1960s, researchers stumbled upon a Viking settlement in North America. Located on the island of Newfoundland (part of modern-day Canada), this settlement dates back to the 11th century and was named L’Anse aux Meadows. This discovery confirmed that the Vikings were the first Europeans to set foot in North America long before Columbus.
Recently, a team of archaeologists from the University of Iceland shared new findings regarding the Vikings’ presence in North America in the journal Antiquity. The researchers demonstrated that Scandinavian seafarers reached this continent as early as 985 AD—over 500 years before Columbus.
What Researchers Discovered
The scientists analyzed wood used by the Vikings for construction and other purposes, which was found in five ancient Scandinavian settlements in western Greenland, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Radiocarbon analysis of the wood samples revealed that some belonged to imported species. This material was brought in either from Northern Europe or North America. The presence of tree species typical of the flora in that region indicated an American origin.
Movement, conquests, and territories settled by the Scandinavians during the Viking Age from 800 to 1050
According to researchers, the Vikings established numerous trade routes across the northwestern part of the Atlantic. In those distant times, they had the appropriate ships and the necessary knowledge to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
In their report, the scientists stated that voyages from Greenland to North America occurred throughout the entire period of Scandinavian habitation on the island, specifically between 985 and 1450. Then, for reasons unknown, they abandoned Greenland.
Interestingly, some Scandinavian sagas mention the import of wood from Vinland—a coastal area of North America stretching along the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is now also part of Canada.
As archaeologists explained, the Vikings used North American wood for shipbuilding, construction, and the production of various artifacts. Local species were primarily used as fuel and for other domestic purposes. Researchers noted that access to overseas timber and logs was mainly reserved for the elite of that era’s Scandinavian society.
A previous study on the Vikings’ presence in North America was conducted in 2021 by a team from the University of Groningen (Netherlands). It focused on wooden artifacts from the aforementioned historical and archaeological site of L’Anse aux Meadows, where the Vikings lived around 1021 AD—471 years before Columbus arrived on the continent. Overall, researchers have identified three ancient Scandinavian settlements in North America at different times.
Thus, the Vikings reached the New World before any other Europeans, and this occurred in 985 AD.