L'Anse aux Meadows

After breakfast we went to L’Anse aux Meadows Heritage site. It is just 1 km. from our B&B. We watched a NFB movie, The Vinland Mystery, when we first arrived and that gave an introduction to the site. The fellow who discovered it, Helge Ingstad, was interviewed along with his wife, Anne Stine, the chief archeologist for the project. Vinland had been mentioned in the Norse sagas and this Norwegian couple set out to find the place that the Vikings referred to in North America.
They began around the coast of Rhode Island and worked their way north asking if anyone knew of any ruins or artifacts along the coast. They believed that wild grapes could have grown there but doubted they could have grown much farther north. The sagas talk about bringing back abundant dried grapes and making wine from them. Finally at the northern tip of Newfoundland in the tiny village of L’Anse aux Meadows he found a fellow who readily said there were mounds there that they had always thought were Indian mounds. No wild grapes grew in this area but the location made sense and a joint effort to excavate the site was begun in the early 1960’s. The discovery of a Viking ring pin clinched it as indeed the site of the Vikings landing in North America 1000 years ago.

Our tour guide, Clayton, was terrific. He had grown up in L’Anse aux Meadows and as a boy remembers playing around the mounds. He worked on the site to help excavate and build the replica buildings and has been a guide ever since. He retires next year and his unique perspective will be lost. He was a very interesting guide giving a glimpse into the most likely historical views as well as his first hand account of the time before and during the excavations. It was enchanting to imagine the land and people 1000 years ago! The excavation sites have been covered over with soil and grass for future archeologists to explore. Nearby replicas of sod homes, workshops, blacksmith forge etc have been constructed. Actors interact with visitors explaining what life was like 1000 years ago. The actual artifacts are housed and displayed in a museum building. It was all fascinating and I want to know more about these seafaring people. It may be that they settled farther down the St. Lawrence but no other site has been discovered. So L’Anse aux Meadows remains the first and only evidence of these European visitors to North America.

Clayton mentioned that this year there is an upsurge in visitors from Ontario and they credit that wonderful ad that runs on TV showing those adorable red headed kids running around the replica of a sod building. I must admit that it was that ad that made me want to go there too!