Medieval History
The end of the Norse settlements on Greenland likely will remain shrouded in mystery. While there is scant written evidence of the colony?s demise in the 14th and early 15th centuries, archaeological remains can fill some of the blanks, but not all.
What climate scientists have been able to ascertain is that an extended cold snap, called the Little Ice Age, gripped Greenland beginning in the 1400s. This has been cited as a major cause of the Norse?s disappearance. Now researchers led by Brown University show the climate turned colder in an earlier span of several decades, setting in motion the end of the Greenland Norse. Their findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net
- Vikings Grew Barley In Greenland
A sensational find at the bottom of an ancient rubbish heap in Greenland suggests that Vikings grew barley on the island 1,000 years ago. The Vikings are both famous and notorious for their like of beer and mead, and archaeologists have discussed for...
- Vikings Not Alone When They Crossed The North Atlantic ? Mice Hitched A Ride Too
New research has revealed that when the Vikings sailed across the North Atlantic to places like Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland, they brought with them the common house mouse. An international team of researchers from the UK, USA, Iceland, Denmark...
- The Vikings: Victims And Victors
It's ironic that we remember the Vikings best for one small failure -- their frozen far-north Greenland colony. We should instead be praising the Vikings for struggling through the cold and stormy Dark Ages, for designing those fabulous dragon ships,...
- We Can Learn Lessons From Vikings To Adapt To Global Change
History can teach us how best to respond to climate change, economic turmoil and cultural upheaval, which seems to be pressing concerns of today, scientists have suggested. Scientists studying the past environments and archaeological remains of Greenland...
- Did Elephants Doom The Norse In Greenland?
A new article is examining the theory that Greenland's medieval Norse settlements were ruined by the collapse of the trade in walrus tusks, after ivory from elephants became more easily accessible for artisans in Europe. In her article, "Desirable...
Medieval History
Climate helped drive Vikings from Greenland
The end of the Norse settlements on Greenland likely will remain shrouded in mystery. While there is scant written evidence of the colony?s demise in the 14th and early 15th centuries, archaeological remains can fill some of the blanks, but not all.
What climate scientists have been able to ascertain is that an extended cold snap, called the Little Ice Age, gripped Greenland beginning in the 1400s. This has been cited as a major cause of the Norse?s disappearance. Now researchers led by Brown University show the climate turned colder in an earlier span of several decades, setting in motion the end of the Greenland Norse. Their findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net
- Vikings Grew Barley In Greenland
A sensational find at the bottom of an ancient rubbish heap in Greenland suggests that Vikings grew barley on the island 1,000 years ago. The Vikings are both famous and notorious for their like of beer and mead, and archaeologists have discussed for...
- Vikings Not Alone When They Crossed The North Atlantic ? Mice Hitched A Ride Too
New research has revealed that when the Vikings sailed across the North Atlantic to places like Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland, they brought with them the common house mouse. An international team of researchers from the UK, USA, Iceland, Denmark...
- The Vikings: Victims And Victors
It's ironic that we remember the Vikings best for one small failure -- their frozen far-north Greenland colony. We should instead be praising the Vikings for struggling through the cold and stormy Dark Ages, for designing those fabulous dragon ships,...
- We Can Learn Lessons From Vikings To Adapt To Global Change
History can teach us how best to respond to climate change, economic turmoil and cultural upheaval, which seems to be pressing concerns of today, scientists have suggested. Scientists studying the past environments and archaeological remains of Greenland...
- Did Elephants Doom The Norse In Greenland?
A new article is examining the theory that Greenland's medieval Norse settlements were ruined by the collapse of the trade in walrus tusks, after ivory from elephants became more easily accessible for artisans in Europe. In her article, "Desirable...