ANCIENT COLONISTS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 6 January 1927, Page 8

ANCIENT COLONISTS

NORSEMEN IN GREENLAND

EVIDENCE OF LARGE POPULATION

Last year Dr. Norluiul, of the National Museum in Copenhagen, carried on excavations on the sites of the old Norse settlements in Greenland. He had already written a hook on the old Norse culture based on their remains, particularly in the matter of clothing, showing that, these settlements enjoyed a comparatively high degree of civilisation, and how quickly even the latest European fashions of those times reached the colonies in Greenland. Last summer Dr. Norluiul again visited the ruins, particularly those of the old episcopal palace , which was the largest, building in Greenland except the residence of the founder of the colonv', Eric the Red. His excavations laid bare the very large foundations of the main building, which with its outhouses occupies about four acres. The front of the main building is 163 ft long, and the banquet hall is as large as the”largest mentioned in the Icelandic sagas. There was a cowbyre with accommodation for a hundred kine, a stable for horses, a smithy, a pig-sty, and sheep all identified as being on a scale hardly realisable in comparison with the '‘buildings in ftlie Greenland of to-day. The cathedral is close to the bishop’s palace, and a row of large flagstones leads to the choir door. The cathedral is 98ft long, the same size as the cathedral at Trondhjem, which is the oldest in Scandinavia. There are various chapels attached to the cathedral, and one contained the well-preserved remains of a bishop buried in full pontificals, which have now decayed; in his hand was a pastoral staff with a crook of walrus tusk, and a gold episcopal ring was on his fmgeft All these remains have been taken to Copenhagen after having been photographed in situ. Tt. is remarkable that the bishop has only one foot, although footgear for two was , found in the tomb. This .bishop was probably alive in about 1200 A.D. The cathedral was built of sand stone, quarried near the settlement. It. split easily and proved to be excellent building material. Unfortunately, the natives have carried away almost all the stones of the building.

Beyond any doubt, the old Norsemen in Greenland were a more thriving colony than has generally been thought, and there seem to have been settlers in three of four thousand scattered farms. They had 15 churches), eight of which w£re used as law courts.