Where Did the Greenland Norse Get Their Timber? A New Study Points to North America.

Icelandic archaeologist Lísabet Guðmundsdóttir from the University of Reykjavik Has Found Evidence the Greenland Norse Imported Timber from North America.

Introduction: The Search for Timber in Viking Settlements

In 985 AD, the first settlers from Scandinavia arrived in Greenland, as told in the Saga of Erik the Red and other historical sources. These settlements, located on Greenland’s east and west coasts, endured harsh living conditions until they eventually disappeared around the 15th century. One of the biggest challenges the settlers faced was finding suitable timber for building houses and boats. According to the 13th-century Norwegian text Kongespeilet (King’s mirror), all iron and wood had to be imported to Greenland.

Investigating Timber Origins in Greenland’s Settlements

Icelandic archaeologist Lísabet Guðmundsdóttir from the University of Reykjavik sought to answer the question of where the Greenlanders got their timber by examining wood samples from various well-known settlements in Greenland. The study, published in the journal Antiquity, focused on sites such as Gården under Sandet (the farm beneath the sand) and the Eastern Settlement. The results confirmed that timber was imported from Norway, Northern Europe, and North America.

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