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Early Explorers
Arctic People
F
or centuries the only people in the Arctic
were Inuit. Sometimes the climate became
warmer. Then the Inuit settled further north
following their food supply. When the
weather cooled they were forced south to find
food. People of the Thule Culture were able to
spread during just one such period. During
another period of warm weather which
lasted several hundred years, people from
Europe were able to spread to the Arctic.
The Vikings
The Vikings were good sailors. They
lived in Scandinavia and built strong
ships that could carry many goods.
They spread across northern
Europe and reached Iceland in 860.
When they arrived they found a
small group of Irish monks. Soon
more Vikings came and in less than
a hundred years they had formed the
Icelandic Althing, or parliament.
V
ikings were the first Europeans to settle in the Arctic.
They reached Iceland and Greenland in strong ships like this.
The Discovery of North America
Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, explored further west from
Greenland. He reached the coast of North America around 1000
and explored Newfoundland. He had found a land with trees,
ample fish in the rivers, and grapes. In the stories of Leif’s voyage
the land was called Vinland.
Leiv Erikson Discovring America by Chrisitan Krohg