Norse Greenland

The Norse began exploring North America in the late 10th century. Voyages from Iceland reached Greenland, where they founded settlements along its western coast. Norse settlements on Greenland lasted almost 500 years, with a population that peaked at around 2,000–3,000 people. These settlements consisted mostly of farms along Greenland's scattered coastal fjords. They relied heavily on hunting, especially of walruses and the harp seal. For lumber, they harvested driftwood, imported wood from Europe, and sailed to modern-day Canada. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Greenland settlers used lumber and possibly iron ore imported from North America. Archaeologists found remains of one short-term settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows near the northern tip of Newfoundland. The remains of buildings excavated there in the.