Exploring Early North America

  

 At sunrise this morning we watched as a young Australian couple in their early thirties left the harbor in their sailboat bound for Greenland over the top of Canada on a three year voyage back to Australia .  We thought of Ron and Betty once again.

    

Actual  pieces of bog iron that were found and remnants of iron smelting.

 The village is set in a wonderful meadow overlooking the ocean.  This is today the only known Viking site in North America and the earliest evidence of Europeans in the western hemisphere.

After excavation was completed, the area was covered with a fabric and then layers of sod to protect the area and to preserve it in it’s natural state, much as it was when originally found.

 This is a Canadian National Historic Site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is one of the world’s major archaeological properties.

Very professional and experienced re-enactors are able to answer most questions.

Among many artifacts found, this bronze cloak pin is the most important find.  It definitely establishes this site as Norse in origin and carbon dating sets the time period.