For almost five hundred years, the followers of the famous Viking Eric the Red prospered in their colony in harsh Greenland and even sailed to the coast of North America. However, then the Greenland Vikings mysteriously disappeared. Why their colony fell into decay and where the colonists themselves disappeared - archaeologists excavating in Greenland are trying to answer these questions.

Vikings explore the North Atlantic

There were times when the whole of Europe trembled at the mere mention of the Vikings. On their swift ships, these brave sailors made daring raids on coastal cities and villages, collected tribute and did not spare the recalcitrant. The Vikings felt at home in the British Isles, in the Netherlands and in France, they traveled to Spain, Morocco, Italy. According to ancient legends, about a millennium ago, the Viking Leif Eirikson (Leif the Happy) reached the shores of America, hundreds of years ahead of Christopher Columbus! And although archaeologists do not have direct evidence of this, relatively recently they have received evidence that the Vikings did get to this continent.

A special page in the history of the Vikings is the exploration of Greenland. The Vikings, as excavations on this island have shown, flourished here for hundreds of years, trading with Europe and the natives of America. And the history of the development of the North Atlantic by the Vikings began from Iceland, off the coast of which, around 860, the Norwegian Naddod and the Swede Gardar Svavarsson independently visited. The Norwegian Raven Floki also went there, where he founded a colony.

The colonists barely survived the harsh winter, so the island was named Iceland (Ice Land). However, many newcomers to the island, rich in game with picturesque fjords and densely forested hills, fell in love, and the Vikings began to move en masse to Iceland. By the 70s of the 10th century, there were already about 50 thousand colonists there. And when famine began in the colony, many decided to leave the island and go in search of a better life. Soon the opportunity presented itself.

Discovery of the Green Country

In 982, the Viking Eric the Red, who was repeatedly accused of murder, killed two of his sons in another quarrel with a neighbor. Eric was not executed, but only sentenced to three years of exile outside Iceland. He decided to wind the term while traveling. He learned from a sailor friend that there was some land 450 miles to the west, bought a ship and went in search of it. In the summer of 982, Eric was already rounding its southern tip. Soon he liked the picturesque place, with its fjords reminiscent of his native places. Eric called the new land Greenland - the Green Country. For three years, the travelers remained in their chosen place, and after returning to Iceland, they began to gather an expedition to develop the open land.

25 ships with 700 colonists went to Greenland, but a severe storm made its own adjustments, and only 14 ships and 400 people reached the coveted shores. The lucky ones founded the Eastern Settlement on the southern coast of Greenland. In the next 10 years, groups of settlers arrived in Greenland several times, establishing the Western Settlement on the southwestern coast. Despite the harsh conditions, the Viking outposts in Greenland flourished. The number of colonists grew, and there was a time when about 3 thousand Vikings lived on the island.

Life on harsh ground

The Vikings settled along the fjords, which reminded them of their native places. However, building a farm in Greenland proved to be difficult: there were no trees suitable for obtaining timber for construction, as well as for fuel. Fin was the only source of wood. Houses were built from it, as well as from stone and turf.

They escaped from severe frosts by erecting walls about two meters thick. In one of the buildings of the Western Settlement, the so-called "farm under the sand", scientists have found detailed evidence of the Viking lifestyle in Greenland. According to the forces of the Vikings, there were also very large buildings. During excavations, archaeologists discovered a very impressive structure, for the creation of which it was necessary to remove the sod from an area of ​​​​about 1000 m2!

Summers in Greenland are too short to grow crops, so the Vikings likely went without beer and bread. The settlers raised goats, sheep and even cows brought from Europe. However, they slaughtered them for meat moderately, mostly making do with milk and cheese.

In the early years of living in Greenland, the settlers differed little from their compatriots in Iceland and Scandinavia. They fished, hunted seals and deer, made clothes from wool, linen, and fur. The colonists actively traded with Scandinavia. In exchange for iron, grain, and timber, they offered bear and polar fox skins, narwhal tusks, and strong walrus skin ropes. And whalebone was in great demand among European fashionistas. According to one version, the Greenland Vikings even traded in live bears. It is highly likely that from Greenland the Vikings went for timber to North America! Remains of buildings in Newfoundland testify to their short stay in the area.

Changed climate and plague in Europe

According to scientists, in the 14th century it became noticeably colder in Greenland. Glaciers began to slide onto the lands of the Vikings, bringing with them sand, mud and gravel, they gradually deprived the colonists of pastures. The situation worsened when the plague struck Norway. And when the Black Death reached Iceland, the Greenland Vikings had a very hard time. There is no evidence that the plague "visited" Greenland, but it undoubtedly affected the development of trade. The colonists, as far as they could, adapted to the new living conditions. Gradually, their diet was more and more enriched with seafood. By studying the remains of the colonists, it was possible to establish that at that time seafood covered 80% of their food needs.

The cold snap forced the Eskimos to migrate closer to areas controlled by the Vikings. Apparently, the Vikings were in conflict with the indigenous inhabitants of these places, as evidenced by the legends preserved by the Eskimos. However, the Eskimos, more adapted to the harsh conditions of the north, endured the cold much better. By the way, the Vikings strictly followed the European fashion. It never even occurred to them to adopt the elements of Eskimo clothing, perfectly adapted for survival in the north.

Were the Greenland Vikings abducted by aliens?

Around 1350, the entire population of the Western Settlement, about a thousand people, suddenly disappeared! This was witnessed by a Norwegian priest from the Eastern Settlement. When visiting the Western Settlement, he did not find a single living soul - only feral livestock! No bodies were found either. It seems that the flying saucer took the colonists and rushed off with them in an unknown direction. By the way, there is such a version of the explanation of the disappearance of the settlers.

Among the hypotheses trying to somehow unravel the mystery of the disappearance of people, there are versions of plague, famine, Eskimo attacks, mass migration. However, many assumptions turn out to be untenable if we take into account the absence of corpses and the presence of abandoned live domestic animals. Until now, there is no more or less suitable explanation for this mystery.

The eastern settlement existed until 1500. One of the last written sources of the Vikings of Greenland is a record of a Christian wedding ceremony in a church in Gvalsey, which has survived to this day. Historians believe that the last Vikings of Greenland again moved to Iceland.

There is a legend among the Eskimos that the last Vikings of the East Coast were attacked by pirates, but excavations have not yet given any confirmation of this story. Be that as it may, in 1540, the crew of a ship that arrived from Iceland did not find a single living soul in the colony, only the remains of a man in a hood. It may have been the last Greenlandic Viking.

The history of the campaigns of these early medieval sailors fits into the period from the 8th to the 11th century. The Vikings were nomadic tribes that inhabited the lands that today are Sweden, Denmark and Norway. There is a version that these sea robbers, who were called not only Vikings, but also Normans, and in Russia - Vikings, tried to settle in the largest island on Earth - Greenland. Although a few centuries later there was almost nothing left of the Viking civilization.

Historians believe that the warlike tribes of the Normans differed not only in that they annoyed the population of medieval Europe with their countless attacks. The Vikings are considered among the pioneers who mastered the North Atlantic and founded Normandy. It was they who, according to some sources, first set foot on the lands of modern America. Nevertheless, always and everywhere these nomadic invaders were perceived as pirates or "people from the fjords." Rogue - this is how the word "vikingar" is translated from Old Norse.

Captivated by the "Green Land" At the beginning of the first millennium of the new era, the most advanced of the Scandinavians, Erik the Red (Eirik Thorvaldsson), discovered new uninhabited lands to the west of Iceland. Severe Norwegian guys at first did not perceive Greenland as a territory where an independent state could be created. Nevertheless, their isolated civilization existed there for several centuries, until the 16th century. And then there was practically no trace left of the Scandinavian colony.

Europeans who arrived on this island at the end of the 16th century found only dilapidated buildings. Why Greenland Was Deserted There is a version that the Vikings mixed with the Eskimos, and therefore disappeared as entos. However, the Icelandic geneticist Gisli Palsson, who compared the DNA of the Inuit of Greenland and Canada, claims that there are no European haplogroups there. Other scientists have not found a similar relationship.

Historian Jared Diamond believes that the mixing of races through interethnic marriages is most likely not the reason for the disappearance of the Vikings in Greenland, since neither they nor the Eskimos experienced a particular need to find spouses "on the side." No evidence of the mass extermination of the Scandinavians as a result of clashes with the Eskimos in Greenland was also found. This is confirmed by modern archaeologists. Historian Thomas McGovern is sure that at some point the Greenlanders simply could not stand the harsh climatic conditions that prevailed on the island.

But the American biologist and anthropologist Jared Diamond is convinced that the Viking civilization disappeared due to the fact that they were deprived of many benefits of life (for example, iron and other resources) and did not have the opportunity to establish water communications with other countries, since sea routes due to iceberg piles were impassable. The Vikings did not develop either cattle breeding or arable farming in Greenland, this fact was also clarified during archaeological excavations.

Scientists believe that the Vikings and their descendants simply gradually left the island, because the habitat there for permanent residence became unacceptable for them. They settled throughout Scandinavia, thus forming entire states. Some modern historians express the opinion that today's Russia would not exist if the Varangians had not participated in the fate of Russia at one time. But it's nothing more than a version

The history of the existence of these early medieval sailors fits into three centuries - from the 8th to the 11th. The Vikings as a phenomenon were nomadic tribes that inhabited the lands where Sweden, Denmark and Norway are today.

There is a version that these sea robbers, who were called Vikings, Normans (and in Russia - Varangians), had an attempt to settle in the largest island on earth, Greenland. But after several centuries, there was no trace of the Viking civilization there.

"People from the Fjord"

Historians believe that the warlike tribes of the Normans (Vikings) were distinguished not only by the fact that they annoyed the population of medieval Europe with their countless attacks. The Vikings are considered among the pioneers who mastered the North Atlantic, the founders of Normandy. It was the Varangians, according to some sources, who first set foot on the lands of modern America.

However, always and everywhere among the indigenous population, these nomadic invaders were perceived as pirates or "people from the fjords." Robbers - this is how the word "vikingar" is translated from Old Norse.

Captivated by the "Green Land"

At the beginning of the first millennium of the new era, the most “advanced” of the Scandinavians, Erik the Red (Eirik Thorvaldsson), discovered new uninhabited lands to the west of Iceland. The harsh Norwegian guys had no idea about Greenland, the “Green Land”, as a territory where it was possible for them to create an independent state. But this land did not become such a springboard for the Normans.

For several centuries, until the 16th century, a separate civilization of the Vikings existed on the Greenland they discovered. And then there was practically no trace left of the Scandinavian colony. The Europeans, who arrived on this island at the end of the 16th century, did not find there even an echo of the Viking civilization. Some dilapidated buildings.

Why is Greenland deserted?

There is a version that the Vikings mixed with the Eskimos and therefore disappeared as entos. However, the Icelandic geneticist Gisli Palsson, who compared the Inuit DNA of Greenland and Canada 12 years ago, claims that there are no European haplogroups there. Other scientists have not found a similar relationship.

Historian Jared Diamond believes that mixing races through interethnic marriages as the reason for the disappearance of the Vikings in Greenland is also unlikely: the Eskimos and Vikings did not feel much need to find spouses "on the side." No evidence of the mass extermination of the Scandinavians as a result of clashes with the Eskimos in Greenland has also been identified - modern archaeologists can confirm this.

Thomas McGovern, a researcher on the history of Viking civilization, is sure that the Vikings could not withstand the harsh climatic conditions that developed on the island. And the American biologist and anthropologist Jared Diamond put forward several reasons for the disappearance of the Viking civilization at once: the Scandinavians were deprived of many benefits of life (for example, iron and other resources); the Greenlanders did not have the opportunity to establish water communications with other countries, since the sea routes were impassable due to the heap of icebergs.

Neither cattle breeding nor arable farming among the Vikings in Greenland went wrong, archaeologists confirm this fact.

Scientists believe that the Vikings and their descendants simply gradually left the island, because the habitat there for a permanent residence at that time was not acceptable for them. They settled throughout Scandinavia, thus forming entire states. Some modern historians believe that today's Russia would not exist if the Vikings had not participated in the fate of the formation of Russia in due time. But this is nothing more than a version.

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Lost Vikings. 12:43

In 983, the brave Viking Eric the Red discovered
west of Iceland, new uninhabited lands. Cleverly naming them
Greenland, that is, "Green Land", he persuaded the group
compatriots to leave with him. Scandinavian colony
existed for about 450 years, but at the end of the XIV century, but not quite
for obvious reasons, communication with the mainland was cut off. A century and a half later
Europeans again arrived on the island, but did not find any traces
the first settlers. What happened there?

Vikings
terrorized medieval Europe for several centuries.
The very word vikingar in Old Norse (Old Norse) meant either
"pirate", or "man from the fjord", but also, in principle, a robber.

And
Scandinavian expansion, it must be admitted, was quite successful. One
of the most successful in history: the Varangians founded dynasties throughout Europe -
from Sicily to England. And in some places they contributed to the formation of whole
states - in Normandy or here in Russia, for example.

They were pioneers and
exploration of the North Atlantic, becoming the first Europeans to set foot on
American soil around 1000 AD. Known history.

But
the "discovery" of the New World was, in fact, only a by-product of another
bold project - the colonization of Greenland. Viking settlement
lasted on this earth for about 450 years (or maybe 500) and all this
time was perhaps the most remote corner of Europe. And then it disappeared.

Not fair:
in those heroic times, the laurels of brave conquerors and other epic
honors went exclusively to the southern outpost of the Christian world -
Kingdom of Jerusalem.

However
recent interest in the history of Scandinavian Greenland, perhaps,
no less than the chronicles of the Crusades. Scientists are asking:
how could an entire country disappear at the side of Europe, which served to
cause, what are the limits of human adaptation to climate and whether
the negative impact of people on the environment lead to the death of our
kind?

In general, the Vikings would have liked it, because above all they valued the opportunity to glorify themselves through the ages.

Prelude to colonization
the largest island in the world was the incredible activation of the ancient
Scandinavians since the second half of the 8th century.

AT
At that time, the Vikings lived literally in the backyards of Europe: the Roman
their influence practically did not touch, and all the achievements of civilization
got in there last.

expansionist
the ardor of the bulk of the Germans, which resulted in the well-known "Great
migration of peoples, "among the Scandinavians a little late. And therefore,
probably became such a noticeable phenomenon: in the VIII-XI centuries
Normans-Danes-Varangians were one of the most prominent forces on
political map of Europe.

At
the local population had two advantages: first, it is a valuable resource
- furs, skins of marine animals and wax, and secondly - bizarre
coastline, which helped the northerners to become
skilled sailors. They also had access to the sea - and no
no windows needed to be cut.

Gradually, Scandinavian merchants established routes to the final markets - where they were generously paid for their products in gold.

Wealth
foreigners so turned the heads of some comrades that in one
beautiful day they decided nothing from consumer goods with
do not take with you. But they stocked up in abundance with edged weapons and other
bad devices.

So
successful merchants turned into "Vikings" - sea robbers.
Let us note, meanwhile, that at the forefront they still put the material
benefit in any form. In modern terms, they were
risky and at the same time not very picky businessmen.

AT
during fishing expeditions on the high seas, some of the ships
knocked off course and carried away to the northeastern part of the Atlantic. One day
a sailor named Gunnbjorn noticed new lands there and told about it
to their relatives.

These stories are not
left without attention one of the most restless Vikings of that time -
Eirik Thorvaldsson, better known as Erik the Red. To make up about
some idea, suffice it to mention that he was twice deprived of
registration: first in Norway, and then in Iceland. Both times for
murders.

Having discovered new "no man's" lands, Eric returned and invited a group of Icelanders to join him in their development.

They are
sailed with an impressive flotilla of 25 ships for those times, from
of which only 14 reached their destination - with 400 settlers on
board.

Vikings founded two
settlements - East and West. By the way, these names are not
should mislead you - they are rather South and North, or
Northern and More Northern. Subsequently, the total number
According to various estimates, the islanders ranged from two to five thousand people.

Last thing
documentary evidence of "live" Greenlanders dates back to 1410
year. It casually describes how a certain Captain Thorstein Olafsson
arrived on the island, lived there for 4 winters, married a girl named Sigrid
Bjornsdottir and safely sailed back.

When in 1585 (according to others
data, in 1540) the Europeans again arrived in a distant colony, they
found nothing there but a few dilapidated buildings.

needless
emotional impressions of the second wave of "discoverers" added
the problem of an excessive halo of mystery. Actually modern
science has found (and continues to find) numerous evidence of everyday life
and living conditions of the ancient Scandinavians in Greenland. Including
the last of them.

But it is not
cancels our interest. Moreover, recent research suggests
ask a completely opposite question: did it happen to the Vikings
anything at all?

Let's try to figure this out.

The oldest version is about death at the hands of the Inuit. They are Eskimos, they are representatives of the Thule culture.
The Vikings did not go into ethnographic subtleties and called them
skraelings, which, according to one version, meant "scoundrels", and
on the other - "stumps" or "chocks".

So
behold, the expeditions sent in search of the disappeared settlers remained
in the belief that the latter still roam somewhere among the pagans,
feral and restless.

Then
but, according to legend, "blue-eyed screlings" were glimpsed -
descendants of the Vikings allegedly mixed with the local population, and the Inuit themselves
sort of like they told about the battles that took place with the "pale faces".

Alas,
the latest genetic data show that no mixing with
the Scandinavians of the people of Thule, most likely, were not. Gisli Pálsson from the University of Iceland (Háskóli Íslands)
back in 2005 published the results of deciphering the DNA of Greenland and
Canadian Inuit, in which traces of European haplogroups were found
did not have.

Other scientists did not find them either: when analyzing hereditary combinations and relationships between paleo- and neo-Eskimos, as well as in a comparative study of genetic markers extracted from the remains of the Vikings and taken from the control group of Inuit.

By the way, about the "locals":
Eskimos seem to us the natural inhabitants of Greenland. But the thing is
the fact that the Vikings considered themselves to be the indigenous population. Thule people
came to these lands only around 1300. And the so-called
paleo-eskimos - representatives of the Dorset culture - so far
south did not climb.

Yes, and what
does it work? Small and even alien natives wiped off the face of the earth
warriors who terrified the whole of Europe? Doesn't fit in the head.

Everyone
the history of the Spanish conquest of America is known, when hundreds or even
dozens of conquistadors defeated thousands of Inca armies or
chibcha muisca. And here?

AT
Scandinavian sources have several pieces of evidence describing
encounters with aliens. The last documentary is really
tells us about the gloomy events of 1379, when the attackers on the settlement
skrelings killed 18 men, and "two children and one concubine" were stolen from
yourself.

And the events
deployed already in the Eastern Settlement - a key outpost
Scandinavian society. It's like letting Napoleon to Moscow. Yes and 18
adult men for such a small society - a significant number.

And yet the military
clashes were not the cause of the disappearance of the Vikings - after all, in favor of
This version has not found any archaeological or genetic
evidence.

The absence of mixed marriages, by the way, can have a very original explanation.

The author of the book "Collapse" (Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed) and one of the most famous researchers of the recent Scandinavian colonization of Greenland, Jared Diamond, believes that the Eskimos did not need "white" wives. As well as the "Screling" Vikings.

Before
the issue of marriage was approached more thoughtfully and thoroughly. At the forefront
efficiency was set. After all, the union of two (at least) people was in
literally a vital necessity, and not some kind of
affect.

Scandinavian wives with
childhood was taught to weave wool, take care of cattle and take care of
crops. Inuit - cook kayaks and butcher carcasses. points
there wasn't much contact.

In general, leaving the people of Thule alone, scientists switched from searching for traces of possible battles to a more global thing - the climate.

"Climate" theory quickly became one of the most popular: the Little Ice Age was well deposited in the minds of Europeans.

Today
The average annual temperature in Greenland is 5-6 degrees Celsius.
Celsius on the coast and about 10 degrees in the fjords. According to
eyewitnesses, conditions for living there and now, in a warm era,
unsweetened.

Relatively soft
climate dominated the North Atlantic and in the first centuries
colonization - between 800 and 1300 years. It is possible that he was
softer than now. But already in the XIV century, the conditions became gradually
worsen, and by 1420 the Little Ice Age reached its lower
temperature plateau.

In more
temperate latitudes, such changes would not be so critical, but in
Greenland's climate is too fragile, and the growing season of plants
too short. A slight change in temperature was enough
to upset the balance.

As another well-known Viking explorer, Thomas McGovern, elegantly put it, "it got cold and everyone died." Or they, weakened, were finished off by the Eskimos.

But how harsh was the climate?

The above illustration shows that the temperature still fluctuated around the optimum line.

Yes, and exact generally accepted
estimates of the mean annual temperature are not yet available. On this matter, there are
three main sources of information: written evidence (sagas in
in this case), pollen and plant spores in bottom sediments (at the bottom
swamps) and ice cover.

For
the world's largest island, the most relevant is naturally
last thing. Moreover, large-scale
studies of the history of the European climate in general.

How
you can see the temperature fluctuation estimates are quite perceptible
differ. At least on an environmentally critical scale
islands.

Most modern
researchers believe that up to the disappearance of settlements, no
there were no catastrophic changes in temperature. Yes and
adapted to the even colder climate of the 17th century
Icelandic neighbors!

Nonetheless
climate theory had a strong foundation and served
foundation for a more detailed and pragmatic study of the issue
death of the Viking colony.

In a global retrospective
climate and geographical position of various peoples and territories,
probably had a decisive influence on their evolution and in one way or another
degrees laid the foundation for uneven historical development.

studying
climate and the consequences of its deterioration, some scientists have come to the conclusion that
that, from the point of view of a formal assessment, the problem of disappearance
Scandinavian civilization in Greenland is unsolvable. Too much
independent variables, but to estimate the share of each of them in the final
the result is simply impossible.

That's why
to begin with, the "disappearance" was divided into two stages: sequential
the deterioration of the living conditions of the Greenlanders and, in fact, their mysterious
the missing.

One of the most
advanced models of analysis were proposed by the already mentioned Jared Diamond. He
said: okay, climate is too fundamental; it is necessary to allocate
a few more focused reasons for the collapse of the Scandinavians.

There were five of them.

Paints a sad picture
American biologist and anthropologist: he believes that already in the early years
Settlers caused significant damage to the fragile and unstable
ecology of the island, and then there was only a stubborn struggle for survival,
exacerbated by climate change and Inuit attacks.

A century and a half later, the Europeans again arrived on the island, but did not find any traces of the first settlers... Let's try to figure out what happened there, but let's start from the starting point - the Norman conquests. The Vikings terrorized medieval Europe for several centuries. The very word vikingar in Old Norse meant either "pirate" or "man from the fjord", but also, in principle, a robber. And the Scandinavian expansion, admittedly, was quite successful. One of the most successful in history: the Varangians founded dynasties throughout Europe - from Sicily to England. And in some places they contributed to the formation of entire states - in Normandy or in Russia. The dynasty founded by the Vikings (or rather, its various branches) actually ruled Russia until Ivan the Terrible. They were also pioneers in the development of the North Atlantic, becoming the first Europeans to set foot on American soil around 1000 AD. But the "discovery" of the New World was, in fact, only a by-product of another bold project - the colonization of Greenland. The Viking settlement lasted on this land for about 450 years (or maybe 500) and all this time it was perhaps the most remote corner of Europe. And then it disappeared. However, in recent times, interest in the history of Scandinavian Greenland, perhaps, is no less than in the chronicles of the Crusades. Scientists are wondering: how could an entire country disappear near Europe, what was the reason for this? In addition to Greenland, Norman societies were founded in Iceland, as well as Orkney, Shetland and the Faroe Islands. The only archaeologically reliable Viking settlement in America was recognized as L "Ans-o-Meadows, discovered back in 1960 on the territory of modern Canada in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The prelude to the colonization of the largest island in the world was the incredible activation of the ancient Scandinavians, starting from the second half of the VIII century At that time, the Vikings literally lived in the backyards of Europe: Roman influence practically did not touch them, and all the achievements of civilization penetrated there in the last turn. the Scandinavians were a little late. And therefore, it probably became such a noticeable phenomenon: in the VIII-XI centuries, the Normans-Danes-Varangians were one of the most prominent forces on the political map of Europe. The local population had two advantages: firstly, these are valuable resources - furs, skins of marine animals and wax, and secondly - a bizarre coastline that contributed to that the northerners became skilled seafarers. They also had access to the sea - and no windows had to be cut through. Gradually, Scandinavian merchants established routes to the final markets - where they were generously paid for their products in gold. The wealth of foreigners turned the heads of some traders so much that one fine day they decided not to take any of the “consumer goods” with them. But they stocked up in abundance with edged weapons and other unkind devices. So successful merchants turned into "Vikings" - sea robbers. Meanwhile, we note that they still put material gain in any of its manifestations at the forefront. In modern terms, they were risky and at the same time not very picky businessmen. During fishing expeditions on the high seas, some of the ships were knocked off course and carried away to the northeastern part of the Atlantic. Once a sailor named Gunnbjorn noticed new lands there and told his relatives about it. These stories were not ignored by one of the most restless Vikings of that time - Eirik Thorvaldsson, better known as Erik the Red. To get some idea about him, it is enough to mention that he was twice deprived of his “propiska”: first in Norway, and then in Iceland. Both times for murder. Greenland is associated with permafrost, icebergs and landlocked ice. But it is not so snowy, this land. Moreover, at the end of the 1st millennium AD, during the period of warming, it seemed identical to the world known to the Scandinavians. The settlements founded here were located between the 61st and 64th parallels. The nature in these places is very similar to that in Iceland (64-66 parallels) or northern Norway (above 65 parallels). But there is the Gulf Stream, and Greenland is washed by the Arctic currents. This will play its part later. Having discovered new "no man's" lands, Eric returned and invited a group of Icelanders to join him in their development. They sailed with an impressive flotilla of 25 ships for those times, of which only 14 reached their destination - with 400 settlers on board. The Vikings founded two settlements - Eastern and Western. These names, by the way, should not mislead you - they are rather Southern and Northern, or Northern and Even More Northern. Subsequently, the total number of islanders was, according to various estimates, from two to five thousand people. The last documentary evidence of "live" Greenlanders dates back to 1410. It casually describes how a certain captain Thorstein Olafsson arrived on the island, lived there for 4 winters, married a girl named Sigrid Bjornsdottir and safely sailed back. When in 1585 (according to other sources, in 1540) the Europeans again arrived in a distant colony, they found nothing there except a few dilapidated buildings. The overly emotional impressions of the second wave of "discoverers" added an excessive halo of mystery to the problem. In fact, modern science has found (and continues to find) numerous evidence of the life and living conditions of the ancient Scandinavians in Greenland. Including the last ones. The oldest version is about death at the hands of the Inuit. They are Eskimos, they are also representatives of the Thule culture. The Vikings did not go into ethnographic subtleties and called them skrelings (skraelings), which according to one version meant "scoundrels", and according to another - "stumps" or "chocks". So, the expeditions sent in search of the disappeared settlers were convinced that the latter were still wandering somewhere among the pagans, wild and restless. At the same time, according to legend, "blue-eyed Screlings" were glimpsed - the descendants of the Vikings allegedly mixed with the local population, and the Inuit themselves seemed to tell about the battles that took place with the "pale-faced". Alas, the latest genetic data indicate that there was most likely no mixing of the Thule people with the Scandinavians. Back in 2005, Gisli Palsson from the University of Iceland published the results of deciphering the DNA of the Greenlandic and Canadian Inuit, in which no traces of European haplogroups were found. Other scientists did not find them either: when analyzing hereditary combinations and relationships between paleo- and neo-Eskimos, as well as in a comparative study of genetic markers extracted from the remains of the Vikings and taken from the control group of Inuit. By the way, about the "locals": the Eskimos seem to us the natural inhabitants of Greenland. But the fact is that the Vikings considered themselves to be the indigenous population. The Thule people came to these lands only around 1300. And the so-called Paleo-Eskimos - representatives of the Dorset culture - did not climb so far south. Yes, and what does it do? Small and even alien natives wiped off the face of the earth the warriors who terrified the whole of Europe? Doesn't fit in the head. Everyone knows the story of the Spanish conquest of America, when hundreds or even dozens of conquistadors defeated thousands of Inca or Chibcha Muisca armies. And here? There are several testimonies in Scandinavian sources describing encounters with aliens. The last documentary record really tells us about the gloomy events of 1379, when the Screlings who attacked the settlement killed 18 men, and "two children and one concubine" were stolen with them. Moreover, the events unfolded already in the Eastern Settlement, a key outpost of the Scandinavian society. It's like letting Napoleon to Moscow. Yes, and 18 adult men for such a small society is a significant number. And yet, military clashes were not the cause of the disappearance of the Vikings - after all, neither archaeological nor genetic evidence was found in favor of this version. The absence of mixed marriages, by the way, can have a very original explanation. Previously, the issue of marriage was approached more thoughtfully and thoroughly. Efficiency was paramount. After all, the union of two (at least) people was literally a vital necessity, and not some affect there. Scandinavian wives were taught from childhood to weave wool, take care of cattle and care for crops. Inuit - cook kayaks and butcher carcasses. There were not so many points of contact. In general, leaving the people of Thule alone, scientists switched from searching for traces of possible battles to a more global thing - the climate. "Climate" theory quickly became one of the most popular: the Little Ice Age was well deposited in the minds of Europeans. Today, the average annual temperature in Greenland is 5-6 degrees Celsius on the coast and about 10 degrees in the fjords. According to eyewitnesses, the conditions for living there and now, in a warm era, are not sweet. A relatively mild climate dominated the North Atlantic during the first centuries of colonization between 800 and 1300. It is possible that he was even softer than now. But already in the XIV century, conditions began to gradually deteriorate, and by 1420 the Little Ice Age reached a lower temperature plateau. In more temperate latitudes, such changes would not be so critical, but in Greenland the climate is too fragile, and the growing season of plants is too short. A small change in temperature was enough to upset the balance. As another famous Viking explorer, Thomas McGovern, elegantly put it, "it got cold - and everyone died." Or they, weakened, were finished off by the Eskimos. But how harsh was the climate? Most modern researchers believe that no catastrophic changes in temperature occurred until the disappearance of the settlements. Yes, and the Icelandic neighbors adapted to the even colder climate of the 17th century! Studying the climate and the consequences of its deterioration, some scientists have come to the conclusion that, from the point of view of a formal assessment, the problem of the disappearance of the Scandinavian civilization in Greenland cannot be solved. There are too many independent variables, and it is simply impossible to estimate the share of each of them in the final result. Therefore, to begin with, the "disappearance" was divided into two stages: the consistent deterioration of the living conditions of the Greenlanders and, in fact, their mysterious disappearance. One of the most advanced models of analysis was proposed by the already mentioned Jared Diamond. He said, okay, climate is too fundamental; several more focused reasons for the collapse of the Scandinavians need to be highlighted. An American biologist and anthropologist paints a sad picture: he believes that already in the early years the settlers caused significant damage to the fragile and unstable ecology of the island, and then there was only a stubborn struggle for survival, aggravated by the deterioration of the climate and the attacks of the Inuit. Supplies were vital for the islanders, as they did not have many things. Iron for example. The Icelanders were amazed to see a Greenlandic ship with wooden nails and other spare parts. Hmm... And the weapons? A Viking without a sword is no longer a Viking. Valhalla doesn't accept them. Lack of resources undermined economic development and lowered productivity. By the way, unlike the Greenlanders, the Icelanders maintained contact with Norway even during the Little Ice Age. Fortunately, the paths were not so impassable filled with icebergs, as in the case of Greenland. The Vikings also experienced difficulties with livestock and agriculture: the diet of the settlers changed from the original 80/20 in favor of the traditional "European" menu, to 20/80 in favor of the "local" (primarily seals). Evidence found in Norwegian archives suggests that most Greenlanders have never seen wheat, bread, or "normal" meat in their lives. However, all the above factors (from the first to the fourth) pale in comparison with the "cultural prejudices" of the Scandinavians. At least according to Jared Diamond and a number of other experts. The Vikings, for example, instead of the things needed in the household, imported very expensive items of church utensils and built churches (there were no other completely stone buildings on the island). They could not adapt to year-round hunting for seals and reindeer. No, in general, the climate played a role, of course. However, by and large, people simply did not see the prospect - the island has turned into something resembling a "depressed region" in the modern tradition. In this regard, the loss of prestige of the Greenlandic nobility could also occur. And food riots and other unpleasant things in recent years have been very possible. Here is the "mysterious" disappearance. But, most likely, this was not the case. The youth simply voted with their feet. Demographic modeling of the situation on the island, conducted by the Danish biologist and anthropologist Nils Linnerup, showed that the population of the island, apparently, was declining not so much due to natural decline, but due to emigration. In the end, it was reduced to a level where it was impossible to provide all the functions necessary for survival. According to calculations, a consecutive annual emigration of only ten settlers could have led to this! It is quite possible that people sailed in neat little groups and settled throughout Scandinavia. Then no one perceived it as a "collapse of civilization." And the rest - could not cope on their own. And then many scientists, apparently influenced by the ecological trend, point to their inability or unwillingness to adapt as indisputable evidence of the "guilt" of the Europeans - after all, the Thule people "thrived" after the disappearance of the Vikings. However, the adaptation of the Inuit to the cold includes both an increased level of basal metabolism and the corresponding "modifications" of the physiological characteristics related to it. Plus, part of the knowledge is passed down from generation to generation - you need to learn the language. That is to become an Inuit. All the secrets are revealed here Click on the link