Re-Visiting Viking Vinland: I. Locating 'Keelness', a Viking Shipwreck Site in North America

Abstract

The series 'Re-Visiting Viking Vinland' describe re-evaluation of Viking voyages from Greenland to North America, from about 985 to 1026 A.D. American landfalls were located using clues from Norse sagas, logic, creative imagination, and advanced imaging technology. Paper I describes a dramatic voyage of Leif Eriksson's brother, Thorvald, during the second of four successful 'Vinland' voyages. Thorvald borrowed Leif's ship for further exploration, was caught in a storm, "shattering" the keel, and disabling the ship. In Greenlanders' Saga: "They had to stay there for a long time while they repaired the ship. Thorvald said to his companions, 'I want to erect the old keel here on the headland and call the place Kjalarnes (Keelness)". Where was Keelness? Re-imagining the voyage, the search led from 'Leif's Booths', Leif's original 'Vinland' site in New Brunswick, Canada, to the north coast of Newfoundland. Using logic, a single satellite image, and follow-up drone scans, the Keelness site was found, very near L'Anse aux Meadows, the first authenticated Viking site in North America. Covid-19 restrictions, and lack of certified professionals, precluded site-visits or excavation. Advanced data-processing of drone data was used to confirm the site, while unexpectedly revealing several distinctive ship-repair features; with visible and thermal imaging supporting this site as 'Keelness'; perhaps the first Viking site unequivocally named in the Vinland sagas.

Re-Visiting Viking Vinland: II. 'Virtual Excavation' of 'Keelness', a Viking Shipwreck Site in North America

“…With this supporting image, and even without on-site confirmation, the image of keel-hole and adjacent corresponding keel-piece, are convincing evidence that this site is indeed 'Keelness'! Our original hypothetical shipwreck narrative had the keel being "shattered" close to amidships when it impacted Priest Rock (see paper I) (1). With this one 30 +/-ft piece of the keel presumably accounted for, where was the other half?…”

“…The combination of logic and creative imagination had paid off in locating the shipwreck site (1). Now the time had come, to not only pinpoint locations of specific features, but to see if this same strategy could be applied to interpret the roles which these features may have played in the overall ship repair narrative.…”

“…1. Re-visiting Viking 'Vinland''-the Series 'Re-Visiting Viking Vinland' is a series of papers describing re-evaluation and re-interpretation of Viking voyages from Greenland to North America, dating from about 985 to 1026 A.D. Paper I described the voyage of Leif Eriksson's brother, Thorvald Eriksson, and locating his shipwreck site, 'Keelness', in Newfoundland, Canada (1). Covid-19 fallout restricted site access and affected the ability to enlist certified professional assistance for follow-up.…”