SOURCE: Brandeis University
Archaeologists have discovered what could be only the second Viking settlement ever found in North America. The discovery of the possible settlement at Point Rosse, Newfoundland, was made possible by the work of one of the leading space archaeologists working today, Dr. Sarah Parcak. She is one of the pioneers in the field of using satellite data and imagery to further archaeological discoveries. Dr. Parcak has used satellite imagery to discover lost Egyptian cities and sites.
The first unearthing of a North American Viking settlement was back in the 1960’s when scientists found a settlement in Newfoundland located at its most northern tip in L’Anse aux Meadows. The settlement has been determined to be over one thousand years old. The new one is over 300 miles from that one and located on the southern reaches of the Newfoundland peninsula and could likely be as ancient.
“I am absolutely thrilled,” said Dr. Parcak in an interview with the BBC. “This new site could unravel more secrets about the Vikings, whether they were the first Europeans to ‘occupy’ briefly in North America and reveal that the Vikings dared to explore much further into the New World than we ever thought.”
Dr. Sarah Parcak courtesy of The Christian Post
The original find revealed parts of a wall made from surrounding turf as well as a hearth made of iron. The walls have been identified as uniquely a Viking design as they are unlike any other Newfoundland settlements that have been found in the region. Viking explorers, notably Eric the Red and his son Lief Ericson had founded both Iceland and Greenland and it is widely believed that they explored North America more than 500 years before Columbus reached the Caribbean.
The Vikings ruled Europe as both traders and conquerors and sailed into much of Europe and Russia during the height of their civilization. They traveled extremely light and rarely left anything in their wake so the finding of a settlement is a big deal in the archaeology world.