Vikings in America 2019 Flashcards
Vikings came from what modern country?
Norway
Vikings conquered what?
Half of England
Settled with the French for the Dukedom of Normandy
Vikings commanded an empire from where?
Scandinavia
What do Viking sagas say about their exploration?
The Vikings explored to the West and had established colonies beyond Greenland
Where did most people look for evidence of Vikings?
In America, particularly in regions later settled by pioneers from Scandinavia
Dighton Rock
- Rock in southern Massachusetts with Norse sagas carved in it
- Proposed in 1837 by Carl Christian Rafn who thought they were historical, not mythical. Debunked by Jason Colavito in 2013
Old Stone Tower
- Newport, RI
- Proposed to be viking by Carl Christian Rafn in 1837 in his book Antiquitates Americanae
- Philip Ainsworth Means supported this theory citing architectural features obsolete by 17th century
Kensington Stone
- Runically inscribed stone found in American middle west
- Real runes, wrong language (19th century swedish)
- Fake, why is it in interior U.S. without other artifacts or sites?
Olof Ohman
Discovered the Kensington stone in 1898 on a small knoll near his farm in Minnesota
Hjalmar Holand
Dedicated 55 years trying to prove Kensington Stone authentic
John Holvic
Found documents in 1949 pertaining to Kensington Stone and what seems to be a “first draft” of the inscription before it was carved
Erik the Red
- Settled Greenland and sent his son Lief to explore America
- 982 arrived in Iceland, expelled from Norway
- Exiled from Iceland after 3 years, explored westward and found Greenland
- 997-1003, explored Westward discovering Vinland
Viking Ships
- Designed with Flexible Planking
- Sails woven from Norse sheep’s wool. Straighter, tougher outer hair fibers than modern sheep
Skraelings
The Viking name for North American natives
Helge Ingstad
- Found a Viking site in Newfoundland, L’Anse aux Meadows
- Bog iron present at the site, clear evidence of contact and diffusion
