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Viking Presence in Vinland

Type Event Region North America Time c. 1000–1020

Around 1000 CE, Vikings under Leif Erikson reached northeastern North America, naming it Vinland and leaving short-term settlement remains at L'Anse …

Timeline

  1. c. 1000–1001Vinland coast · NewfoundlandA Viking expedition fleet from Greenland discovered a wooded land sailing west; Leif Erikson named it Vinland (land of wine or meadows) and wintered briefly, marking one of the earliest known European contacts with North America.
  2. c. 1001–1020L'Anse aux Meadows site · Newfoundland and LabradorArchaeological excavation revealed eight Norse-style timber buildings and a smithy, radiocarbon dated to the early 11th century, confirming the only verified Viking settlement in North America, likely used for ship repair and timber gathering, but abandoned soon after.

Sources