Marine and terrestrial investigations in the Norse Eastern Settlement, South Greenland

Authors

  • Naja Mikkelsen Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Thoravej 8, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
  • Antoon Kuijpers Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Thoravej 8, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
  • Susanne Lassen Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Thoravej 8, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
  • Jesper Vedel Royal Danish Administration for Navigation and Hydrography, Over Gaden oven Vandet 62B, DK-1401 Copenhagen SV, Denmark

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v189.5159

Abstract

During the Middle Ages the Norse settlements in Greenland were the most northerly outpost of European Christianity and civilisation in the Northern Hemisphere. The climate was relatively stable and mild around A.D. 985 when Eric the Red founded the Eastern Settlement in the fjords of South Greenland. The Norse lived in Greenland for almost 500 years, but disappeared in the 14th century. Letters in Iceland report on a Norse marriage in A.D. 1408 in Hvalsey church of the Eastern Settlement, but after this account all written sources remain silent. Although there have been numerous studies and much speculation, the fate of the Norse settlements in Greenland remains an essentially unsolved question.

Volume 189 cover photo

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Published

2001-10-31

How to Cite

Mikkelsen, N. ., Kuijpers, A. ., Lassen, S. ., & Vedel, J. . (2001). Marine and terrestrial investigations in the Norse Eastern Settlement, South Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 189, 65–69. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v189.5159

Issue

Vol. 189 (2001): Review of Greenland Activities 2000

Section

RESEARCH ARTICLE | SHORT

License

This article is distributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence, permitting free redistribution and reproduction for any purpose, even commercial, provided proper citation of the original work. Author(s) retain copyright over the article contents.