Scientists from the University of Iceland discovered that Scandinavian sailors brought wood to Greenland from North America. Research published in the journal ancient ages.
Greenland was settled by Norwegian and Icelandic sailors in 985 or 986 AD. The settlers established two colonies on the southwest coast. Scientists here 11-14 AD. They found wooden pieces dating back centuries.
Through wood analysis, the scientists showed that 0.27% of the timber was clearly imported, including oak, beech, hemlock and pine. The other 25% of the total timber, including larch, spruce, Scotch pine and fir, was either imported or washed ashore.
Since hemlock and pine were not found in Northern Europe at that time, scientists assumed they were brought from North America. This is also confirmed by Scandinavian legends about how Leif Eriksson and other travelers brought timber from Vinland (a Viking colony in North America) to Greenland.
Due to the limited resources in Greenland, it has long been assumed that the colonists imported iron and wood from afar, as the studies of scientists confirm. The results of the study also mean that Greenlanders traveled to America at least as far back as the 14th century.