Unearthed Church Sheds Light on Greenland’s Past
The find suggests the settlement functioned as a proto-village, with three farms sharing resources and a church tied to religious and economic power.
- On Thursday, the National Museum of Denmark announced the discovery of a medieval church in Greenland, revealing new insights into Viking society over 800 years ago. Archaeologist Christian Madsen led the research at Qinngua near Narsarsuaq.
- Surrounded by three farms, the building long eluded archaeologists until a clue found during excavations last year led to its discovery. Madsen called it "a proto-village" where the farms shared both fields and resources.
- Probably dating to the 13th century, the church measures 8m to 10m long and 3m to 4m wide. Madsen noted "churches were vital in Norse society" as they provided access to revenues and religious authority.
- Settlers hunted walrus teeth, narwhal tusks, and polar bear skins that were fed "back into the European markets and all the way to the Middle East and central Eurasia." This resource network sustained the settlement's economy.
- The discovery "should allow us to approach the story of how this particular settlement developed over time, how it was built and collapsed." The church was part of a network of the first Catholic churches on the North American continent.
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Unearthed church sheds light on Greenland’s past
The discovery of a medieval church in Greenland has unveiled important clues about how Viking society on the island was organized more than 800 years ago, the National Museum of Denmark said yesterday.Probably dating back to the 13th century, the church was built when the Vikings founded a colony on
The Local - Dk
The Manila TimesUnearthed medieval church sheds light on Greenland's viking past
The discovery of a medieval church in Greenland has unveiled important clues about how Viking society on the island was organised over 800 years ago, the National Museum of Denmark said Thursday.
A skeleton discovery can shed light on the social development and power relations in Greenland at the time, says researcher
berlingske.dk
BTA discovery of a skeleton can give us insight into the social development and power relations in Greenland at the time, believes the researcher.
A large and previously unknown Norse church has been found in southern Greenland. A skeleton in a grave near the ruins confirmed researchers' suspicion that the ruins were the remains of a church.
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