Falling into Vínland

• Published in: Acta Archaeologica
• Main Authors: Kristjánsson, Jónas, Einarsson, Bjarni F., Jónasson, Kristján, McAleese, Kevin, Hjaltalín, Þór
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Brill 2012
• Subjects: Archeology; Straumfjord; White Bay; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/16000390-08301005; https://brill.com/view/journals/acar/83/1/article-p145_5.xml; https://brill.com/downloadpdf/journals/acar/83/1/article-p145_5.xml

Two interwoven topics are dealt with, firstly a new interpretation of the Icelandic Sagas and historical written sources on the Viking age voyages to North America, leading to a theory on the location of Vínland, and secondly an archaeological survey of deer hunting pitfalls in Newfoundland, which were possibly dug by the Nordic voyagers a millenium ago. According the theory of the article, Vínland is the modern day Newfoundland, and the Straumfjord of the sagas, where Thorfi nn Karlsefni and Gudríd Thorbjarnardóttir attempted settlement could be Sop’s Arm in White Bay on the North coast of Newfoundland. The system of pitfalls that was surveyed and excavated is close to Sop’s Arm. The pitfalls form an 82 metre long system that lies in an almost straight line. Individual pits are now 1.5–2.3 metres deep and 7–10 metres long. Two pitfalls were excavated by taking a section into them. Attempted radiocarbon dating of soil from two pitfalls was inconclusive. Considerable soil thickening of 55–110 centimetres since the pitfall construction was observed.