Groundbreaking research has revealed that the Vikings and Indigenous Arctic peoples had much earlier interactions than previously thought. By analyzing ancient walrus DNA, scientists have retraced the intricate walrus ivory trade routes of the Viking Age, shedding light on the rich cultural exchange between these two vastly different civilizations centuries before Columbus’s arrival in the New World. This discovery challenges the traditional Eurocentric narrative and provides a more nuanced understanding of the complex history of these early encounters.
The Viking Ivory Obsession
Medieval Europe was desperate for products suitable for its elite, and walrus ivory was a top prize. This in turn influences the Viking expansion to places like North Atlantic, where they travel to find this resource.
The Greenland Norse were previously thought to have almost exclusively hunted walrus near their farms in southwest Greenland. But now new research indicates a surprising development: that many of the best-known walrus ivory finds from Europe were not in fact brought home from modern-day Greenland, but were actually sourced from some of the more inaccessible hunting grounds in the High Arctic. It is a sign that the Vikings had advanced seafaring technology and techniques to navigate through the icy, treacherous waters of the far north.
An Unforgettable Cultural Experience
As the researchers dug deeper into the data, a new and intriguing question arose: with the Greenland Norse trading for so much ivory from the High Arctic, who else might they have met there? These seemingly unpopulated polar wastes had been the exclusive hunting grounds of Thule Inuit and perhaps other indigenous Arctic people who were killing walrus, and many other marine species here.
The difference in culture between these two groups must have been exceptional. The Greenland Norse, with light-colored hair and skin, woolen clothes, and clinker-built ships, would have presented a striking counterpart to Thule people of Asiatic features who lived in the Arctic environment and used layered parkas from caribou fur rather than cumbersome European Baroque attires made out of wool. Members of the research team said, however, that they expected there to be at least some curiosity and fascination in these events, as well as social interaction and exchange.
Rewriting the History Books
The research represents yet another piece of independent evidence that the Norse did indeed come into contact with North American Aboriginal peoples much earlier than historians traditionally believed (the Columbus story) and suggests their is a long way to go before we have built an accurate picture of Indigenous prehistory.
The study also verifies that the North Water Polynya — an important international Arctic waterway — was a key place of such inter-cultural exchanges. The researchers conclude there´s much work to be done to explore the intricacies and contexts that frame these extraordinary interactions, and especially from an Indigenous perspective. The revelation of this discovery allows for more opportunities to research further and include a fuller comprehension in the history books of the single event that change America like no other.
