History B Vikings Transition Work

Tasks: The main aim is to complete a short report on where you think Vinland was- see Task 3. You can spend a couple of hours on this task-but I have included other tasks and resources for you to explore.

Where is Vinland?

In the 900s stories began circulating in Europe about a lush, abundant land far across the Atlantic called “Vinland” – the land of wine. For a long time scholars dismissed these stories as fanciful fables but then, in 1961, an indisputable Viking settlement was unearthed at L’Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada. It was true! The Vikings had been to America 500 years before Columbus “discovered” it. But L’Anse Aux Meadows is not a “land of wine”. So where was this idyllic Vinland where Europe first encountered America?

Task 1: Read all the information on the ‘How do we know’ about the Vikings sections. https://www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/vinland/howdoweknow/indexen.html

Make a note of each type of evidence and what it can tell us about the past. There are links to click on with pages that tell you more about each technique. Many of these techniques are used in archaeology but they will help you understand this period of history. You do not need to submit these notes.

Task 2: Read and make notes about Viking Life. https://www.canadianmysteries.ca/ sites/vinland/vikinglife/indexen.html

You will need to know about each of the areas outlined. There are links to relevant extracts to Viking Sagas which you should have a go at reading. For information on what the Viking Sagas are see https://www.ancient.eu/Saga/. Task 3: ‘Where is Vinland’? Typed up report to submit. https://www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/vinland/whereisvinland/indexen.html

You need to now read through all the different theories of where ‘Vinland’ was/is. Is it L’Anse aux Meadows? https://www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/vinland/lanseauxmeadows/indexen.h tml

Or do you think it was at one of the other suggested locations? Make sure you click the links on the left-hand side menu. Also look at who all the characters are in the sagas. What do we know about them? You can also read the relevant section from the sagas (you need to scroll down the page once you have clicked on the chapter links).

Once you have completed that you need to complete a typed up report of one to two sides of A4 outlining your case for where Vinland was. You should include all evidence e.g. scientific evidence, maps and saga information in your answer. You can add illustrations (figures) if you wish.

Please note that you can spend a couple of hours or much, much longer on this task if you wish.

There are also documentaries that you can use although you need to treat these with caution.

The Vinland Mystery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYFNcww6-2c

There is also a BBC Viking Icelandic Saga that you can watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taVsvYWp1UU