Rewriting history: Researchers find evidence that Vikings arrived in America 500 years before Columbus

Researchers have found conclusive evidence that ancient Vikings arrived in America 500 years before Columbus, effectively rewriting our history books.

It seems that researchers have discovered yet another crucial piece of evidence which points towards the fact that Ancient Vikings traveled to the 'New World' 500 years before Christopher Columbus, proving that history, as we have been taught in school, is completely wrong. Experts have come across a Viking settlement located on Point Rosee on the Canadian island of Newfoundland. According to preliminary results, iron Ore processing t the site indicates it dates back to somewhere between 800 AD and 1300 AD proving that the Vikings were not only fierce warriors but also extremely skilled navigators who traveled across the planet. The discovery has caused archaeologists to accept a different history suggesting that this finding opens up an entirely new chapter in human history. The archaeological site in Newfoundland is the SECOND known Viking settlement that has been found by researchers in North America and help confirm the theory suggesting that the Vikings were the first Europeans to reach the New World. The new archaeological site is located over 600 kilometers south-west of a Viking settlement found L'Anse aux Meadows during the 1960s. Archaeologists now believe that the new discovery undoubtedly opens a new chapter in our history, where we have come to realize that the ancient Vikings traveled further into the New World than anyone previously believed possible, even though numerous findings pointed in that direction. According to Dr. Sarah Parcak, a researcher at the University of Alabama, Birmingham: 'This new site could unravel more secrets about the Vikings whether they were the first Europeans to 'occupy' briefly in North America and reveal that the Vikings dared to explore much further into the New World than we ever thought. 'Typically in archaeology, you only ever get to write a footnote in the history books, but what we seem to have at Point Rosee may be the beginning of an entirely new chapter.' It was known for some time now that the ancient Vikings were extremely skillful seafarers, using the sun and stars in order to guide themselves in their long journey as they explored the coastlines of Greenland and North America. At the site, archaeologists discovered evidence of stones blackened by iron (above image) ore processing, a technique that the indigenous North American population was not thought to do. This suggests the buildings that stood at the site were inhabited by Vikings, who are well known for making extensive use of iron. According to 'The Saga of the Greenlanders', the ancient Vikings discovered America by accident in autumn of 986AD. The accounts tell how Bjarni Herjolfsson came across North America after he and his crew were blown off course during an attempt to sail from Norway to Greenland. Inspired by these stories, another brave Viking by the name of Leif Ericsson mounted his own expedition and 'rediscovered' America in 1002. Ericsson discovered fertile lands where grapes and berries grew in abundance, so he decided to call the 'new' land 'Vinland'. During his journey, Ericsson also came across two distant lands on the North American coast, one which had flat stones which he decided to name Helluland, and another wand which was 'flat-wooded' which he named Markland. With the help of infrared images of the newly discovered site, researchers were able to identify the outlines of what they believe were longhouses resembling those used by the ancient Vikings Now, the new discovery made in Newfoundland helps confirm these 'mythical' stories showing that the ancient Viking legends were, in fact, true. The new Viking site was found with the help of high-resolution near-infrared images taken by satellites. Speaking to National Geographic Dr. Bolender explained that the Viking sagas detailing journeys to what has been interpreted as North America are true rather than merely legends. 'We're looking here because of the sagas. Nobody would have ever found L'Anse aux Meadows if it weren't for the sagas. But, the flipside is that we have no idea how reliable they are,' said Dr. Bolender. Professor Judith Jesch, director of Nottingham University's Centre for the Study of the Viking Age described the new discovery as 'exciting'. Speaking about the discovery, Professor Jesch said: 'Finding Vikings in the United States is the Holy Grail for many people, not least because there are many Americans of Scandinavian descent who would like to think that they were following in the footsteps of their ancestors. The discovery is outlined in a 90 minute BBC documentary called Vikings Uncovered.