High Middle Ages · North America · Exploration

1001

Leif Erikson establishes Vinland camp

1001

At a grassy headland near modern L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Leif's crew raised long-houses of sod and timber to winter in. They collected butternuts from farther south, suggesting exploration well beyond the initial landing, before sailing back to Greenland with timber the next spring. The settlement, though short-lived, left archaeological traces that would not be rediscovered until 1960.