Overview of the Norse Vikings way of life in Greenland

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Introduction

• Overview of the Norse (Vikings) way of life in
  Greenland
• Reign of around 450 years, from 984 AD to the
  1400s
• Most remote post in European society (1500 miles
  away from Norway)
• Most richly documented pre-industrial collapse

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Topics of Discussion

• Settlements North and South
• Climate
• Farming
• Society
• Hunting and fishing
• Complex, delicate, interdependent way of life

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Norse Greenland Settlements
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Norse Greenland Settlements

• Total settlement consisted of 5000
• Western- 1000 people (actually in North)
• Eastern- 4000 people (actually in South)

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Climate

• Harsh environment
• Mean summer temperature was 42 degrees Fahrenheit
• Fluctuations from year to year had greatly
  affected life for the Norse

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Climate

• Long winter- short growing season, supplies run
  short
• Cold summer- fog, icebergs (no trade, bad growth)
• Cold West Greenland Current on western side

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Farming

• Livelihood pastoralism- growing domestic
  livestock
• Cows, pigs, sheep, goats, horse
• Norse moved higher in altitude during the summer
  to provide grazing for livestock
• Sheeps wool naturally waterproof due to the cold
  environment

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Farming

• Flax non-native medieval european crop- linen
  textiles, linseed oil
• Shieldings- small farms at higher altitude
• Keeping livestock alive was extremely difficult
• Saved manure all winter- spread on fields for
  fertilizer

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Sustenance

• Most Norse never saw wheat, bread, or beer during
  entire lives
• Main staple of diet- near 80 seafood (seal, but
  NO FISH)
• Beef was consumed by wealthy (best farm plots)
• Consumed bone marrow to utilize all nutritional
  resources

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Society

• Communal (none could survive without the help of
  other Norse)
• Violent
• Hierarchal
• Conservative
• Eurocentric
• Keep records in Latin and Old Norse

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Hunting and Fishing

• Spring hunts focused on migratory seals
• Caribou were hunted in the winter when they
  descended to lower elevations
• Fish NOT consumed- less than 1 of diet

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Imports and Exports

• Iron
• Lumber
• Church paraphernalia- bells, communion wine,
  stained glass

• Skins of goats
• Seal skin, meat
• Wool cloth naturally waterproof
• Walrus tusks-ivory
• Walrus hide-rope
• Live/dead polar bears

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Conclusion

• The Norse Greenlanders were extremely resourceful
  and efficient people
• Weather was a colossal factor in the lives of the
  Norse
• Norse were a very conservative people

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The Last of the Norse Greenlander Kin-Ragnar
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Thank You