L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Canada
Type	Cultural
Criteria	vi
Reference	4
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription History
Inscription	1978  (2nd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

L'Anse aux Meadows (from the French L'Anse-aux-Méduses or "Jellyfish Cove") is a site on the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, where the remains of a Viking village were discovered in 1960 by the Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his archaeologist wife, Anne Stine Ingstad. (Newfoundlanders pronounce the name of the site 'lance ah meadows'.) A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1154 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Vinland Viking LAnse aux Meadows Leif Ericson Green roof Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize... As of 2006, there are a total of 830 World Heritage Sites located in 138 State Parties. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Newfoundland (disambiguation). ... Motto: Quaerite Prime Regnum Dei (Latin: Seek ye first the kingdom of God) Capital St. ... The term king commonly denotes the ship-borne warriors, pirates and traders of Norsemen (literally, men from the north) who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of britain and ireland as far east as the Volga River in Russia from the late 8–18th century. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ingstad in his trapper days in the late 1920s (photo from his book The Land of Feast and Famine, 1933). ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Dr. Anne Stine Ingstad (1918 – 1997) was a Norwegian archaeologist who, along with her husband Dr. Helge Ingstad, discovered the remains of a Viking settlement at LAnse aux Meadows in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1960. ...

The settlement

The only authenticated Viking settlement in North America outside Greenland, it was the site of a multi-year archaeological dig that found dwellings, tools and implements that verified its time frame. The settlement, dating more than five hundred years before Christopher Columbus, contains the earliest European structures in North America.^[1] Named a World Heritage site by UNESCO, it is thought by many to be the semi-legendary 'Vinland' settlement of explorer Leif Ericson around AD 1000. The "Skalholt" map (1570) shows the "Promontorium Winlandia" at the northern tip of what can only be a depiction of Newfoundland, exactly where L'Anse aux Meadows is and parallel to England! The term king commonly denotes the ship-borne warriors, pirates and traders of Norsemen (literally, men from the north) who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of britain and ireland as far east as the Volga River in Russia from the late 8–18th century. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 – May 20, 1506) was a navigator and maritime explorer credited as the discoverer of the Americas. ... Medieval architecture in North America is an anachronism. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Vinland was the name given to a part of North America by the Icelandic norseman Leif Eiríksson, about the year (AD) 1000. ... Leif Ericson (Old Norse: Leifr Eiríksson)[1] (c. ...

The settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows consisted of at least eight buildings, including a forge and smelter, and a lumber yard that supported a shipyard. The largest house measured 28.8 by 15.6 m and consisted of several rooms^[2] Sewing and knitting tools found at the site indicate women were present at L'Anse aux Meadows. {Unreferenced|date=March 2007}} The forge or smithy is the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith. ... Historic smelter in Florence, Colorado In extractive metallurgy, a smelter is a factory for producing metal by the reduction of ore. ... A lumber yard is a retail location for lumber and wood related products used in construction and/or home improvement projects. ... Small shipyard in Klaksvík (Faroe Islands), reparing fishing vessels Fish ladder and shipyard in Grave, the Netherlands Construction hall of Schichau Seebeck Shipyard, Bremerhaven Gdynia Shipyard Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. ...

Viking colonisation site at L'Anse-aux-Meadows

The site of early Viking colonisation in Lanse aux Meadows in the northwesternmost corner of the island of Newfoundland This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The site of early Viking colonisation in Lanse aux Meadows in the northwesternmost corner of the island of Newfoundland This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

History

The climate in Newfoundland then was significantly warmer than it is today. As recounted in the sagas, Leifur set forth from Greenland to search for the land Bjarni Herjólfsson had told him of. He found a land rich with grapes, salmon, and a frost-free winter, and returned to harvest lumber to take back to tree-poor Greenland. L'Anse aux Meadows has been variously identified as: (a) the first camp made, (b) the camp made after fleeing hostile Skrælings, or (c) a camp not mentioned in the saga. Excerpt NjÃ¥ls saga in the Möðruvallabók (AM 132 folio 13r) circia 1350. ... Bjarni Herjólfsson (fl. ... Maps showing the different cultures in Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland and the Canadian arctic islands in the years 900, 1100, 1300 and 1500. ...

The saga describes a colonizing attempt led by Thorfinn Karlsefni, with as many as 135 men and 15 women, who used Leifur's camp, perhaps L'Anse aux Meadows, as a base. Among them was Freydís Eiríksdóttir, half-sister to Leif. While it is not possible to verify that L'Anse aux Meadows is indeed the Vinland of Saga, it is certain that a group of Norse colonists lived here around the year AD 1000.^[2] Thorfinn Karlsefni or Þorfinnur Karlsefni was an Icelandic explorer who led an attempt to settle Vinland circa 1010 A.D. with three ships and 160 settlers. ... Freydís Eiríksdóttir was a Viking woman who sailed to Vínland in the early 11th century. ...

L'Anse aux Meadows may have been a way station between a colony in Greenland and another settlement in the southern Gulf of Saint Lawrence region, or it may have served as an overwintering station for Norse explorers from Greenland.^[3] The site was only used for two or three years. It is conjectured, based on both literary and archaeological evidence, that poor relations with natives doomed the settlement to abandonment. Intergroup conflict over women and unexpected weather have also been suggested as the causes for its abandonment. Bathymetry of the Gulf, with the Laurentian Channel visible Gulf of Saint Lawrence (French: golfe du Saint-Laurent), the worlds largest estuary, is the outlet of North Americas Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. ... To overwinter is to pass through or wait out the winter season, or to pass through that period of the year when “winter” conditions (cold temperatures, ice, snow, limited food supplies) make normal activity or survival difficult or impossible. ...

The sagas also tell an interesting story: in their wish to build good relationships with the native Indians, the Vikings invited some Indian chieftains to one of their feasts, where milk was also served. The Indians probably suffered from lactose intolerance, as they got sick, and suspected poisoning. Thus, the contact attempt was unsuccessful. A glass of cows milk. ... For biological toxicity, see toxin and poison. ...

Map of Viking Expansion

L'Anse aux Meadows may be connected to the Algonquin legend of a Kingdom of Saguenay, said to be populated by a race of blond men rich in furs and metals, but this is conjecture. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (947x648, 254 KB)made by me; earth pic by NASA, data from Image:Viking Age. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (947x648, 254 KB)made by me; earth pic by NASA, data from Image:Viking Age. ... This article is about the Native American tribe. ... The name Kingdom of Saguenay (French: Royaume du Saguenay) has its origin in an Algonquin legend learned by the French during French colonisation in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. ...

See also

• List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Norse colonization of the Americas
• Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact
• Vinland map

This page lists communities of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact refers to interactions between the indigenous peoples of the Americas and peoples of other continents—Europe, Africa, Asia, or Oceania—before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. ... The Vinland map. ...

References and notes

1. ^ Nydal, Reidar (1989). "A critical review of radiocarbon dating of a Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada". Radiocarbon 31: 976-985. 
2. ^ ^{a b} From the Canadian Encyclopedia article on L'Anse aux Meadows.
3. ^ Allen, John Logan (1997). North American Exploration: A New World Disclosed. Volume: 1.. University of Nebraska Press, p. 27. 

Carbon-14 is the radioactive isotope of carbon discovered February 27, 1940, by Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben. ...

External links

• UNESCO
• Parks Canada
• Severed Ways, The Norse Discovery of America, a drama set in 1000A.D. and filmed in L'Anse
• Medievalists.net Page with articles and resources about the Viking settlement

Pictures

L'Anse-aux-Meadows, Nfld The site of early Viking colonisation in Lanse aux Meadows in the northwesternmost corner of the island of Newfoundland This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Landing at L'Anse aux Meadows reenactment 2000 Download high resolution version (2292x1551, 464 KB)This picture was taken by my sister, Joyce Hill, who gave permission to use it. ...

Looking outside from Viking house, 2006 Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (480 × 640 pixel, file size: 68 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Patrick Coutu, 08-05-2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the...

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Canada
Canada	Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks · Dinosaur Provincial Park · Gros Morne · Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump · L'Anse aux Meadows · Old Town Lunenburg · Miguasha · Nahanni · Old Quebec · Rideau Canal · SGaang Gwaay · Wood Buffalo
Canada / USA	Kluane-Wrangell-St. Elias-Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek · Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park

Coordinates: 51°35′42.96″N, 55°31′52.40″W A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site is located in the Canadian Rockies. ... Badlands terrain at the Dinosaur Provincial Park Dinosaur Provincial Park is a World Heritage Site (since 1979) located about 2 hours drive east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada or 48 kilometres northeast of the community of Brooks. ... Western Brook Pond. ... Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump located where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains begin to rise from the prairie 18 km northwest of Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada on highway 785, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and museum of Native American culture. ... Lunenburg, Nova Scotia can mean: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (town) Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (municipal district) Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Miguasha National Park (French: Parc national Miguasha) is near Carleton on the Gaspé Peninsula of Québec, Canada. ... Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories of Canada, approximately 600 km west of Yellowknife, protects a portion of the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region. ... Motto: Don de Dieu feray valoir (I shall put Gods gift to good use; the Don de Dieu was Champlains ship) Coordinates: , Country  Canada Province  Quebec Agglomeration Quebec City Statute of the city Capitale-Nationale Administrative Region Capitale-Nationale Founded 1608 by Samuel de Champlain Constitution date 1833... The Locks in Summer The Rideau Canal, also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. ... The Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site is a combination of a national park reserve and a heritage site located in British Columbia, Canada. ... Wood Buffalo National Park, located in northeastern Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, is the largest national park in Canada at 44,807 km². The park was established in 1922 to protect the worlds largest herd of free roaming Wood Bison, currently estimated at more than 2,000. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Kluane-Wrangell-St. ... The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the name of the union of the Glacier National Park in the United States and the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...