Mystery – What happened to the Vikings of Greenland?

Archaeologists in the 1990s found fragments of looms and cloth, an iron knife, soapstone jugs, and a double-edged comb

The Vikings established dairy and sheep farms throughout the unglaciated areas of the south of Greenland

They built churches, a monastery, a nunnery, and a cathedral

From the number of farms archaeologists guess that the population may have been about 5,000.

Trading with Norway the Greenlanders sold live falcons, polar bear skins, narwahl tusks, and walrus ivory

A cathedral was built of the local reddish sandstone capable of holding several hundred people

The Church became a burden - soon it owned two-thirds of the island's finest pastures, and tithes (taxes) were very high

The number of Norwegian merchant vessels arriving in their ports dropped until none came at all.

Norwegian merchant vessels had brought wood, iron and tools needed for their farms and the building and maintenance of the Viking boats.

By the 1300s Elephant ivory could be easily obtained from Africa and replaced walrus ivory.

Farmland was over-exploited and lost fertility.

Soil erosion came about due to the cutting of trees for fuel and for the production of charcoal

Livestock ate any regenerating vegetation. Overgrazing by sheep, goats and cattle, left the land in a poor state

Greenland's climate began to change; the summers grew shorter and progressively cooler,

Long winters limited the time cattle could be kept outdoors and increasing the need for winter fodder.

Colder winters affected the design of houses – they were divided into smaller spaces for warmth with the cows close by for the animals' body heat.

Archaeologists know that during one freezing winter farmers killed and ate their livestock, including newborn calves and lamb,

An ice core taken in 1992 shows a decided cooling off in the Western Settlement during the mid-fourteenth century.

By the 1400s the islanders lacked the boats to migrate all together as they had neither nails, bolts, or wood

Basque (Spanish) pirates attacked Vikings in Iceland in the 15th century, burning houses and stealing treasure

Archaeologists know that only one Viking house on Greenland can be said to have been destroyed by fire

The Vikings remained farmers and concentrated on the raising of sheep, goats, and cattle rather than fishing

The Inuit caught seals through holes in the ice in winter when food was scarce, and also caught a lot of fish

Archaeologists can find no trace of the Vikings using harpoons or fishhooks

As life became harder young Viking people may have left for Iceland on any passing boat

Two thirds of Vikings in Iceland were killed by the black plague

The Vikings traded tusks and hides with Norway not for iron or wood, but religious artefacts, stained glass and vestments for clergy.

The Vikings saw themselves as Europeans, very different form the Inuit

An expedition sent to Greenland in 1721 found no surviving Europeans

Archaeological remains show an increasingly poor diet for humans and animals