Vikings exploration

How did the Vikings arrive to America?

A Viking (Bjarni Herjolfsson) ¨discovered¨ America when his ship was blown off course, in 985. In 1,001 Leif Ericsson was the first to land in America and they spent the winter, with his people, in Newfoundland and settled in L´Anse aux Meadows but they had many flights with Native American people so they gave up their settlement. Vikings also sailed into the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. They were brave sailors. They also sailed to Greenland and Iceland.

Ships description:

They were steady and fast. Vikings were the best boats engineers. There were two types of Viking ships: ¨long ship¨ which was used for warfare. The other was ¨Knarr¨ which was a cargo ship. Both were decorated with animals and made of oak or pine.

Long ships:

Typically with dragon heads. They also carried a removable mast which is about half the size of the boat. They could get up to six knots of speed. They carried twelve to fifteen places for oarsmen in case there was no wind. For long trips they have a deck. It usually carried a little boat called after-boat. Most of the boat was ensambled with ropes because there were no nails. The Vikings slept in a wool sleep-bag under the deck.

Knarr:

They were cargo boats. It was made to carry from 10 to 100 people and carried objects such as timber, cattle, wool and wheat. It was also made of Oak or pine. The mast was removable. Commonly they were about 52 feet long, 16.5 feet wide. They employed the people in the port when they were getting there or going out.

Longboats and Navigation:

The Vikings were great sailors. They could live months in the sea. The most important elements for the navigation were: the ship, the crew and the supplies. They knew their location because of the sun and the stars.

How did they find their way when the sun and stars could not be seen?

They used an instrument called a sunstone. A sunstone was a natural crystal which could refract light, making it possible to see the sun when it´s not visible. They also measured the depth of the water to know where it was shallow.

Chronicle:

There is a chronicle about a man called Floki Vilgerdarson who discovered Iceland by releasing three ravens (birds). The 1^st one flew back home, the 2^nd one refused to fly and the 3^rd one pointed the way to Iceland.

Knowledge:

They had traditions that were passed through many generations. They had a great knowledge of geography. Also, a great sea knowledge, including the knowledge of different types of seabirds, seaweed and other flotsam, and ancestral knowledge.

Bibliography:

· http://transportationhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/vikins_longboats_and_navigation

· The Olariners Museum

· http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/vikings/trade_and_exploration/

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