Civilizations rise and fall. The mighty Roman Empire collapsed. The Aztec Empire collapsed. The Soviet Union collapsed. Historians know well why these great civilizations fell, but there were some civilization collapses that are still a mystery or at least debated like the Indus Valley civilization and the Greenland Norse. The Greenland Norse were a civilization of Vikings in Greenland that existed for about 400 years before disappearing. Who were the Greenland Norse and why did they fall?
The Norse Vikings raided villages across Northern Europe. With a swift attack, they would pillage and flee before trained soldiers from the ruling kingdom could arrive and defend the village. As they accumulated resources from the raids, the population in Viking settlements increased to a point where finding more land was a necessity and an opportunity for prestige. Courageous and ambitious, they explored the uncharted west and discovered Iceland. …show more content…
Iceland banished Erik after he murdered four people. He sailed further west to a land that was mostly inhospitable but did have meadows and a natural harbor. To convince others to follow, he named it Greenland. The appeal of Greenland was the opportunity to attain prestige associated with land holdings. In 986, twenty five boats embarked from but only fourteen arrived after some sunk and others turned back. In the end, 400 people arrived to start a settlement on this new, fresh land. But their expectations were soon destroyed. There was no timber, meaning houses were made of sod, stone, and driftwood. The land was not good for farming, meaning people had to rely on pastures with sheep and cattle. Despite these odds, the Greenland Norse settlements peaked at 3000 people. But then, by the 15th century, they disappeared. There are two major theories on why the Greenland Norse civilizations
The Norse Vikings raided villages across Northern Europe. With a swift attack, they would pillage and flee before trained soldiers from the ruling kingdom could arrive and defend the village. As they accumulated resources from the raids, the population in Viking settlements increased to a point where finding more land was a necessity and an opportunity for prestige. Courageous and ambitious, they explored the uncharted west and discovered Iceland. …show more content…
Iceland banished Erik after he murdered four people. He sailed further west to a land that was mostly inhospitable but did have meadows and a natural harbor. To convince others to follow, he named it Greenland. The appeal of Greenland was the opportunity to attain prestige associated with land holdings. In 986, twenty five boats embarked from but only fourteen arrived after some sunk and others turned back. In the end, 400 people arrived to start a settlement on this new, fresh land. But their expectations were soon destroyed. There was no timber, meaning houses were made of sod, stone, and driftwood. The land was not good for farming, meaning people had to rely on pastures with sheep and cattle. Despite these odds, the Greenland Norse settlements peaked at 3000 people. But then, by the 15th century, they disappeared. There are two major theories on why the Greenland Norse civilizations