<p>History books tell us that Christopher Columbus discovered America. But a new study suggests that Viking Age Norse people might have encountered Indigenous North Americans hundreds of years before Columbus stepped foot on the continent.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They were reportedly looking for walrus ivory in the High Arctic and this is when they met the people in America. Norse intermediaries used to supply the prized walrus ivory in medieval Europe. To look for it, they expanded across the North Atlantic and established settlements in Iceland and Greenland.</p>

<p>Where the walrus ivory was precisely sourced has been a mystery. But a new study suggests that it was likely harvested from very remote High Arctic hunting grounds before being imported into Europe from Norse settlements in Greenland.</p>

<p>The team used high-resolution genetic sourcing methods to locate the exact places in the High Arctic, which included North Water Polynya in northern Baffin Bay where open water is surrounded by sea ice between Greenland and Canada, and the interior Canadian Arctic.</p>

<p>Vikings lived roughly between the late 8th and 11th centuries, during which time the seafaring Norse people from Scandinavia raided, colonised and traded across Europe and beyond.</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sailors-of-ill-fated-ships-stuck-in-arctic-180-years-ago-ate-the-captain-study-reveals-762799">Captain became food for sailors of ill-fated ships stuck in Arctic 180 years ago</a></p>

<p>The researchers say that the Norse came in contact with Indigenous peoples of the North American Arctic, during which time they possibly exchanged ivory with them.</p>

<p>Study lead author Peter Jordan, with the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Lund University in Sweden, told Newsweek, "We had no idea the walrus ivory was coming from such remote parts of the Arctic. This is big news. The exciting implication is that ivory shipped back to Europe was coming from remote High Arctic areas inhabited by Arctic Indigenous peoples."</p>

<p>The study authors say that Vikings must have met people from other cultures when they went to these places. They also likely had trade relations with each other, especially the Thule Inuit, who are the ancestors of modern Inuit in Canada and Greenland.</p>

<p>While it has long been theorised that Norse and Indigenous Americans likely interacted with each other, clear archaeological evidence has been missing.</p>

<p>The new study says that Norse people and Thule Inuit were in the same place at the same time because of ivory. It was available only in remote areas where both groups operated. Another North American Arctic Indigenous group known as the Tuniit also existed at the same time in these areas, according to the researchers.</p>


History books tell us that Christopher Columbus discovered America. But a new study suggests that Viking Age Norse people might have encountered Indigenous North Americans hundreds of years before Columbus stepped foot on the continent.

History books tell us that Christopher Columbus discovered America. But a new study suggests that Viking Age Norse people might have encountered Indigenous North Americans hundreds of years before Columbus stepped foot on the continent. They were reportedly looking for walrus ivory in the High Arctic and this is when they met the people in America. Norse intermediaries used to supply the prized walrus ivory in medieval Europe. To look for it, they expanded across the North Atlantic and established settlements in Iceland and Greenland. Where the walrus ivory was precisely sourced has been a mystery. But a new study suggests that it was likely harvested from very remote High Arctic hunting grounds before being imported into Europe from Norse settlements in Greenland. The team used high-resolution genetic sourcing methods to locate the exact places in the High Arctic, which included North Water Polynya in northern Baffin Bay where open water is surrounded by sea ice between Greenland and Canada, and the interior Canadian Arctic. Vikings lived roughly between the late 8th and 11th centuries, during which time the seafaring Norse people from Scandinavia raided, colonised and traded across Europe and beyond. Also Read: Captain became food for sailors of ill-fated ships stuck in Arctic 180 years ago The researchers say that the Norse came in contact with Indigenous peoples of the North American Arctic, during which time they possibly exchanged ivory with them. Study lead author Peter Jordan, with the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Lund University in Sweden, told Newsweek, "We had no idea the walrus ivory was coming from such remote parts of the Arctic. This is big news. The exciting implication is that ivory shipped back to Europe was coming from remote High Arctic areas inhabited by Arctic Indigenous peoples." The study authors say that Vikings must have met people from other cultures when they went to these places. They also likely had trade relations with each other, especially the Thule Inuit, who are the ancestors of modern Inuit in Canada and Greenland. While it has long been theorised that Norse and Indigenous Americans likely interacted with each other, clear archaeological evidence has been missing. The new study says that Norse people and Thule Inuit were in the same place at the same time because of ivory. It was available only in remote areas where both groups operated. Another North American Arctic Indigenous group known as the Tuniit also existed at the same time in these areas, according to the researchers.

Vikings, not Columbus, were first to discover North America and meet Indigenous Americans

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<p>Scientists in new research found a piece of rock which is likely to hold the answers to the mysteries of our planet and tell the world about its uniqueness.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The researchers stumbled upon a part of the Earth’s crust which is likely to have been hidden for more than 3 billion years in Northern Europe’s oldest mountains in Finland.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The discovery emphasises the formation of the continent and even suggests that the birth of Denmark and Scandinavia actually took place some 3.75 billion years ago in Greenland.</p>

<p>“Our data suggest that the oldest part of Earth’s crust beneath Scandinavia originates in Greenland and is about 250 million years older than we previously thought,” said Professor Tod Waight, who is a geologist at the University of Copenhagen, in a statement.</p>

<p>The traces of the ancient crust were first found in the mineral zircon by Waight and his colleagues and then its chemical fingerprint matched with some of the oldest rocks on the planet which were found in West Greenland.</p>

<p>“The zircon crystals we found in river sand and rocks from Finland have signatures that point towards them being much older than anything ever found in Scandinavia while matching the age of Greenlandic rock sample,” said researcher Andreas Petersson, who was part of the study.</p>

<p>“At the same time, the results of three independent isotope analyses confirm that Scandinavia’s bedrock was most likely linked to Greenland," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/delving-deep-earths-crust-holds-more-water-than-its-ice-caps-reveals-study-705110">Delving deep: Earth's crust holds more water than its ice caps, reveals study</a></p>

<p>Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark sit above a section of the Earth’s crust which is called the Fennoscandian Shield, or the Baltic Shield.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the scientists, this shield got detached from Greenland as a “seed” and moved for hundreds of millions of years till it “took root” where Finland exists today.</p>

<p>The plate continued to develop here as new geological material accumulated near it and it slowly became Scandinavia.</p>

<h2><strong>Earth existed like a watery planet when the crust got detached: Study</strong></h2>

<p>The study emphasises that when the crust got detached from Greenland, the planet was very different from what it looks now.</p>

<p>“Earth was probably a watery planet, like in the movie&nbsp;<em>Waterworld</em>, but without any oxygen in the atmosphere and without emergent crust,” said Prof Waight.</p>

<p>“But, because that’s so far back in time, we can’t really be sure about what it actually looked like," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Melting polar ice is slowing earth's rotation</strong></p>

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<p>As per his team, Earth stands out from its galactic neighbours because of the continental crust which is composed of granite.</p>

<p>“This is unique in our solar system,” Petersson said. “And, evidence of liquid water and a granite crust are key factors when trying to identify habitable exoplanets and the possibility of life beyond Earth," he added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Scientists in new research found a piece of rock which is likely to hold the answers to the mysteries of our planet and tell the world about its uniqueness. The researchers stumbled upon a part of the Earth’s crust which is likely to have been hidden for more than 3 billion years in Northern Europe’s oldest mountains in Finland.

Scientists in new research found a piece of rock which is likely to hold the answers to the mysteries of our planet and tell the world about its uniqueness. The researchers stumbled upon a part of the Earth’s crust which is likely to have been hidden for more than 3 billion years in Northern Europe’s oldest mountains in Finland. The discovery emphasises the formation of the continent and even suggests that the birth of Denmark and Scandinavia actually took place some 3.75 billion years ago in Greenland. “Our data suggest that the oldest part of Earth’s crust beneath Scandinavia originates in Greenland and is about 250 million years older than we previously thought,” said Professor Tod Waight, who is a geologist at the University of Copenhagen, in a statement. The traces of the ancient crust were first found in the mineral zircon by Waight and his colleagues and then its chemical fingerprint matched with some of the oldest rocks on the planet which were found in West Greenland. “The zircon crystals we found in river sand and rocks from Finland have signatures that point towards them being much older than anything ever found in Scandinavia while matching the age of Greenlandic rock sample,” said researcher Andreas Petersson, who was part of the study. “At the same time, the results of three independent isotope analyses confirm that Scandinavia’s bedrock was most likely linked to Greenland," he added. Also Read: Delving deep: Earth's crust holds more water than its ice caps, reveals study Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark sit above a section of the Earth’s crust which is called the Fennoscandian Shield, or the Baltic Shield. According to the scientists, this shield got detached from Greenland as a “seed” and moved for hundreds of millions of years till it “took root” where Finland exists today. The plate continued to develop here as new geological material accumulated near it and it slowly became Scandinavia. Earth existed like a watery planet when the crust got detached: Study The study emphasises that when the crust got detached from Greenland, the planet was very different from what it looks now. “Earth was probably a watery planet, like in the movie Waterworld, but without any oxygen in the atmosphere and without emergent crust,” said Prof Waight. “But, because that’s so far back in time, we can’t really be sure about what it actually looked like," he added. Watch: Melting polar ice is slowing earth's rotation As per his team, Earth stands out from its galactic neighbours because of the continental crust which is composed of granite. “This is unique in our solar system,” Petersson said. “And, evidence of liquid water and a granite crust are key factors when trying to identify habitable exoplanets and the possibility of life beyond Earth," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

A hidden Earth's crust suggests Scandinavia was born some 3.75 billion years ago in Greenland

In pics | Storm Babet batters Scotland and Scandinavia causes heavy rains, floods

<p>Scientists believe that newly unearthed mysterious gold treasures in Norway can help find secrets of ancient society. By gold treasures, they mean tiny, detailed 1 cm wide gold foils that were recently discovered during excavations of a pagan religious temple in Hov, Norway.</p>

<p>So far, Norway has only 10 known sites where such foils have been found. In Hov, 35 such pieces have been found, the most for a single site in the country.</p>

<p>But over 3,000 similar foils have been found across Scandinavia, according to Ingunn Marit Røstad, an archaeologist and associate professor at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo.</p>

<p>“They’re found in almost all of Scandinavia, but only in Scandinavia,” Røstad was quoted as saying by CNN. “You have the same images spread all over Scandinavia, so they must have meant something, the people must have known what they meant, and I think they must have been important to be handled in this way,” he added.</p>

<h2><strong>The purpose of these foils</strong></h2>

<p>The most recent documented artefacts have been discovered concealed beneath the structure's walls and within the post holes, suggesting intentional placement and leading researchers to consider them as potential offerings to the building.</p>

<p>“There are many different suggestions (as to the foils’ purpose),” Røstad said. “They must have been placed there intentionally, so I think it’s some form of sacrifice that has been done — probably in connection with some of the rituals that had been taking place inside of this pagan building, perhaps marriage rituals, since very many of these gold foils have pictures of couples on them,” he added.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Norway PM meets Zelensky in Kyiv, decides to give F-16s to Ukraine</strong></p>

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<p>Although the designs on the foils bear distinct references to the Merovingian Period, which existed prior to the Viking era between 476 and 750 AD, the exact purpose for which they were created remains shrouded in mystery.</p>

<h2><strong>More details about the gold foils</strong></h2>

<p>According to the Bornholms Museum in Rønne, Denmark, the country where the majority of these foils have been unearthed, the gold pieces predominantly feature depictions of men, women, and animals.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/norway-asks-people-to-keep-distance-from-spy-whale-to-ensure-animals-safety-596203"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Norway asks people to keep distance from ‘spy’ whale to ensure animal’s safety</strong></a></p>

<p>These figures are often adorned with jewellery, weaponry, drinking cups, various styles of gowns, and robes associated with royalty, as well as other clear indicators of wealth from that time period.&nbsp;<br />
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Some theories even propose that these depictions might represent gods and goddesses from Norse mythology, as suggested by Røstad.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Scientists believe that newly unearthed mysterious gold treasures in Norway can help find secrets of ancient society. By gold treasures, they mean tiny, detailed 1 cm wide gold foils that were recently discovered during excavations of a pagan religious temple in Hov, Norway.

Scientists believe that newly unearthed mysterious gold treasures in Norway can help find secrets of ancient society. By gold treasures, they mean tiny, detailed 1 cm wide gold foils that were recently discovered during excavations of a pagan religious temple in Hov, Norway. So far, Norway has only 10 known sites where such foils have been found. In Hov, 35 such pieces have been found, the most for a single site in the country. But over 3,000 similar foils have been found across Scandinavia, according to Ingunn Marit Røstad, an archaeologist and associate professor at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. “They’re found in almost all of Scandinavia, but only in Scandinavia,” Røstad was quoted as saying by CNN. “You have the same images spread all over Scandinavia, so they must have meant something, the people must have known what they meant, and I think they must have been important to be handled in this way,” he added. The purpose of these foils The most recent documented artefacts have been discovered concealed beneath the structure's walls and within the post holes, suggesting intentional placement and leading researchers to consider them as potential offerings to the building. “There are many different suggestions (as to the foils’ purpose),” Røstad said. “They must have been placed there intentionally, so I think it’s some form of sacrifice that has been done — probably in connection with some of the rituals that had been taking place inside of this pagan building, perhaps marriage rituals, since very many of these gold foils have pictures of couples on them,” he added. Watch: Norway PM meets Zelensky in Kyiv, decides to give F-16s to Ukraine × Although the designs on the foils bear distinct references to the Merovingian Period, which existed prior to the Viking era between 476 and 750 AD, the exact purpose for which they were created remains shrouded in mystery. More details about the gold foils According to the Bornholms Museum in Rønne, Denmark, the country where the majority of these foils have been unearthed, the gold pieces predominantly feature depictions of men, women, and animals. Also read: Norway asks people to keep distance from ‘spy’ whale to ensure animal’s safety These figures are often adorned with jewellery, weaponry, drinking cups, various styles of gowns, and robes associated with royalty, as well as other clear indicators of wealth from that time period. Some theories even propose that these depictions might represent gods and goddesses from Norse mythology, as suggested by Røstad. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Mysterious gold foils unearthed in Norway linked to ancient Scandinavian society

Scandinavian airline SAS cancelled more than 1,200 flights scheduled for Monday and Tuesday as a pilot strike that has disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers entered its third day on Sunday.

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