L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, World Heritage Site in Canada

The island of Newfoundland in eastern Canada. The ruins of L’Anse aux Meadows there provide evidence that Vikings visited the area in the 11th century, some four centuries before Columbus arrived. This was the first European settlement in North America. Remains of wooden structures have been found at the site, which are related to those found in Iceland and Greenland.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about Lens-aux-Meadows!

What is L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site?

L’Anse aux Meadows, meaning “prairie cove,” is an archaeological site at the tip of the island of Newfoundland. This is where the Vikings established their settlement in the 11th century, before Columbus landed in North America in 1492. The wooden frame houses are similar in structure to those found in Iceland and Greenland, which tells us that they came here all the way from northern Europe.

The settlement was discovered in 1960 and consisted of eight buildings, with three houses and a sawmill excavated. The sawmill in particular was used to make iron and repair ships, which may have sailed further south.

In fact, there is a saga (a prose work, often a story based on an actual story) about Leif Erikson, a Norman who lived in 10th century Iceland, who passed through Greenland and discovered the land of grapes (Vinland).Could that Vinland be the Reims-aux-Meadows? It is believed that it is.

However, unlike the Vineland in the saga, the island of Newfoundland today is not conducive to the cultivation of grapes.It is thought that the climate of the earth during Leif’s expedition was warmer, and the land here was richer.

Either way, there is no doubt that this was a North American settlement. However, the settlements were abandoned after only a few years. The main theory is that this was due to the deterioration of relations with the indigenous people.

For what reason is the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site on the World Heritage List?

L’Anse aux Meadows was recognized for

Registration Criteria (vi)
L’Anse aux Meadows was the only settlement in the Americas established by the Vikings, in that it was the first European settlement in the Americas.

Conclusions and Thoughts of a World Heritage Enthusiast

The discovery of this site proves that it was the Vikings who arrived in the New World long before Columbus. Although the Vikings would never have thought it at the time, the establishment of these settlements was an event that changed the history of immigration to the Americas.

Incidentally, there is a famous Viking comic book called “The Vinland Saga”, and its theme, Vinland, refers to this island of Newfoundland. In a sense, L’Anse aux Meadows, may have been the final destination of the Vikings, in other words, their “utopia”.

*The contents here are considerations derived from the research of a World Heritage Site enthusiast.As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.