What happened to the Greenland Vikings? In 985 AD, Erik the Red leads a wave of Norse settlers across the North Atlantic to Greenland, where they establish two remote colonies along the fjords of the south: the Eastern Settlement and the Western Settlement. Against all odds, these Viking communities survive for centuries in one of the most extreme landscapes on Earth. At their peak, they may number around 4,000 people, building farms, churches and manor houses while trying to live like European pastoralists in an Arctic world.
The Greenland Norse raise sheep, goats and cattle, but their survival depends on more than farming. They become part of a long-distance trade network connecting Greenland to medieval Europe. Their most valuable export is walrus-tusk ivory, along with furs and other Arctic goods. For hundreds of years, the Norse of Greenland hold a powerful position in the European ivory trade. But by the start of the 15th century, they suddenly disappear from the historical record. Why did a colony that had survived for generations collapse? This documentary investigates the mystery of the Greenland Vikings, exploring Erik the Red’s settlement, Arctic survival, the Eastern and Western settlements, the walrus ivory trade, environmental pressure, economic change and the unanswered question that still fascinates archaeologists today: did the Norse leave, die out, or fail to adapt before it was too late?
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