Did Vikings discover America first?
If by “vikings” you mean the Norse, then yes. The Norse had established colonies in both Iceland and Greenland, however, they were aware of possible lands further west*. In about AD 998, a sailor name Bjarni was blown off course, while attemping to sail for Greenland. His report intrigued Leif Ericsson who mounted an expedition to these westerlands. His first voyage was made in either 1001 or 1002 and he identified three “lands”: Helluland, Markland, and Vinland. Scholars and archeologists think that Helluland was either the south part of Baffin Island or the north part of the Labrador/Gaspe. Markland was either Labrador or Newfoundland. Vinland is a bit more a mystery because it is unclear *exactly* what the “vin” refers to. Based on the descriptions it could be anywhere from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, Maine or even Rhode Island. In 1960 the ruins of a Norse settlement were unearthed at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, lending new credence to the Icelandic claims. However, it is st
