Researchers from Canada and the Netherlands found evidence of the stay of Vikings in North America in 1021. Dedicated to the time of finding the first Europeans on the continent. Article of scientists was published in the journal Nature.
The only confirmed place where the Vikings lived in North America, is located in 1960 of the medieval settlement of L’Hens-O-Meduse (L’Anse Aux Meadows) in the north of Newfoundland. However, the exact age of this settlement was not set – the spread of radiocarbon datches covered the whole era of the Vikings. Researchers from the University of Groningen and Memorial University of Newfoundland selected three fragments of wood, which are associated with the stay on the island of Vikings – to which traces of the use of metal blades that are not used by the indigenous population are indicated. Scientists were able to highlight 83 annual rings and conducted 127 radiocarbon dating.
Determine the accurate age of items helped a powerful solar flash at the turn of 992 and 993 years. “A distinct increase in the content of the radiocarbon (carbon-14 isotope – approx.” Tape.ru “), which occurred between 992 and 993 of our era, was found in annual rings around the world,” said the head of the study, Associate Professor of the University of Groningen University. In each of the wood fragments, this label was at a distance of 29 annual rings from the edge. Based on this, scientists concluded that wood cutting living on the island of Vikings occurred in 1021 – exactly a thousand years ago.