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Vikings and Vinland 
more info in articles. |
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Danish |
This website is about Vikings, especially the Norse from Greenland and how they explored Vinland.
An
analysis of the artifacts on this website shows that the Vikings were
using special methods for navigation and simple map making. Following
the sun through the days and the stars at night through the year fulfilled
this purpose. Furthermore it will be shown that the Vikings had some knowledge
of positioning (practical use of gnomonic projection based on measuring
the height of the sun and the corresponding length of the shadow). It
is demonstrated through the instruments they were using, especially the
bearing-dials shown below. Pls.
read the article:Vikings
in Sop's Arm here:
(
pdf-format
453KB) or the article:
The bearing-dial and mapping
Vinland here:
(pdf-format
220KB) or Vikings and Vinland
in Danish here (pdf-format
437KB).
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One of the finds cut in wood (the bearing-dial on the right) has been C-14 analysed: calibr. + - 1 stand. dev.: 895-1010 AD, and the geometrical patterns are related to the latitudes and geographical areas around Newfoundland, Cape Breton and Prince Edwards Island. More info here . The bearing-dial in the middle is cut in sandstone and turned 30 degrees compared to the right one, showing New Foundland and especially Cape Breton. Both bearingdials are showing different mapping purpose.
Index
for special questions (FAQ) on this website: Look for
updates here.
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Click image for investigating the bearing-dials.
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Click image for investigating the sunstone.
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Click image for analyzing the sunstick. These finds (artefacts) will be analysed in both increased numbers and details proving my hypothesis. |
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Sunstone (solarsteinn) found in Greenland. Similar, but more simple finds from Greenland and Newfoundland have been compared with Spindle whorls. Some of them contain the same geometrical pattern as the sunstone above. |
See how the Viking methods from the bearing-dials match the construction of Trelleborg, a fortress from 980 AD in Denmark here. |
From Vebaeks finds
in East Settlement in Greenland 1948 we can investigate some of their
tools - especially the bearing-dials and the sunstone. And with help from
computer software, digitizing and GPS-systems we will make experiments
and analyses ourselves corresponding with Celestial Navigation. Click
the images above for more information about the bearing-dials, the sunstone
and the sunstick. Find
geographical information on bearing-dials here
for positioning purposes.
A comparison of two approximately similar bearing-dials in existence, an early one found in Greenland (Vebaek 1948) and one with unknown finding place (the picture at left above), shows that they are identical in shape but differ in details, and clearly reveals that the dials are carved consciously and not broken. The patterns on both sides and on the edges are showing us the meridians the vikings have followed and in which geographical areas they have sailed and stayed.
From the finds we can illustrate that the Norse knew how to measure latitudes. We also know that they measured the height of the sun during the seasons of the year and found some sort of declination so they were able to build a calendar and manage daymarks. Calendar stones were used for organizing the society and finding seasons and directions for navigation purposes.
The Norse have used bearing-dials and sunstones for navigational and exploring purposes: measuring positions of the sun (azimuth, amplitudes (sunrise and sunset)) and heights (altitude) of the sun from sunrise to sunset, noon and other daymarks (e.g. eykts). When Leifs explored Vinland for the first time he stated his position this way: It was "eyktarstadr" (sunset) in a special daymark (eykt) at "skamdagr" (winter solstice): Find a computer simulation here.
Comparing the patterns on the bearing-dials with the construction of Trelleborg (980 AD) in Denmark and Sweden are showing us that they are based on the same methods. More info here .
last updated 22. July 2008, copyright 2001 - 2008 Erik Torpegaard
If you want to join the work: projectdescription, translation, modelling and analyses or make any comments to the site - please mail me here: Mail to Erik Torpegaard
Special thanks to: Kent Budden and Bjorn Simonsen