In 1960, Norwegian archaeologist Helge Ingstad made an important discovery near Black Duck Brook at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland. In the eight years that followed, he and his wife, Anne, unearthed the remains of what was evidently a small Viking settlement. Buildings and artefacts found at the site suggested that it was the temporary home for North America’s earliest European explorers. Further studies revealed that L’Anse aux Meadows was also home to a number of indigenous North American groups, who frequently came into contact with the explorers. The work carried out by the Ingstads and other experts has therefore played a significant role in piecing together the history of early Norse culture in relation to Newfoundland’s past.
The initial excavation at L’Anse aux Meadows occurred after George Decker, a local resident, showed Helge Ingstad a series of overgrown bumps and ridges jutting out of the earth. These features were the remains of sod buildings used by the Norse. The layout and construction of the buildings were both typical of those seen in Iceland around the year AD 1000. These structures served a number of purposes, ranging from residential housing to work shops. Most important was the discovery of a bloomery and a smithy, as it was in these buildings that bog iron from a nearby peat bog was smelted and fashioned into nails for ships. A large number of these nails were found at the site. According to Parks Canada, ‘this, more than any other find, led archaeologists to identify the site as Norse.’ In addition to the buildings, excavators found a bronze pin used to fasten cloaks, as well as a soapstone spindle whorl and other tools used for making or repairing clothing. Then, preserved in the anaerobic conditions of the peat bog, Parks Canada discovered wood that had been worked to form ship planks and floorboards. For all of these finds, numerous radiocarbon samples have dated the occupation of the site at a mean of AD 990.
Upon analysing Norse sagas, it has been proposed that L’Anse aux Meadows was first discovered by Leif Eiriksson, the famed explorer who landed in a bountiful region beyond Greenland (which he dubbed ‘Vinland.’) Some scholars believe that Vinland could indeed be L’Anse aux Meadows, but there is a great deal of controversy over this view. For instance, the sagas describe the land as being abundant with grapes, a fruit that cannot readily grow in Newfoundland. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the site was in fact Norse. From the overall size of the settlement, archaeologists have deduced that L’Anse aux Meadows was likely a base or winter camp where sailors could repair their ships and prepare for further expeditions. Indeed, only about 75 people are expected to have lived there. The people who stayed at the settlement brought Norse practises and technology with them, as is primarily evident by the iron forge and the spindle whorl. The spindle whorl itself also lends further understanding as to who exactly inhabited the site, as this, along with bone needles that were found, would have only been used by women. So clearly, not only Norse men lived at L’Anse aux Meadows. The Norse sagas also make it apparent that the explorers came into contact with native peoples. The explorers called them ‘Skraelings,’ and it is possible that they were either Beothuk, Micmac, or Naskapi-Montagnais, all of whom inhabited the surrounding area at the time. Ultimately, it was the clashes that resulted of this contact that drove the outnumbered Norse back to Europe.
While it is not clear exactly how long the Norse stayed in Newfoundland, it is suspected that their habitation did not last for more than a few years. The threat of the Skraelings and the fact that it was easier for them to harvest the same resources in their native Europe caused them to abandon L’Anse aux Meadows. However, their lasting impact on Newfoundland’s early past cannot be forgotten. They were the first Europeans to discover North America, long before the likes of Christopher Columbus and John Cabot. Though they did not realise the potential of North America as a new world, they did recognise the importance of resources in Newfoundland – something that is still highly regarded to this day. Thus, as a result of the archaeological work of the Ingstads and Parks Canada, it is clear that L’Anse aux Meadows holds a significant place within the history of human life in Newfoundland.
U2Man
