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The Vikings Research Paper

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The Vikings were a group of pillagers and raiders from the eighteenth to eleventh century. A lot of what we know of them is based on theory, with not much solid proof. They were not a clan to write down anything or leave notes. The only written material found about them is from people outside of the group that were being raided and were terrified of them. But in order to really know and understand something, you need to know both sides of the story, not just from the side against them. The only things we know for certain, is the ruins and artifacts that archeologists dig up and find from the past. From this is what the theories are based off of and it is the best we can go by on what little knowledge we have on Vikings. Most of what the average …show more content…

The author of “Secrets of Viking Ships”, Evan Hadingham, had written that, “Without this crucial advance in ship technology, the Vikings would never have become a dominant force in medieval warfare, politics, and trade.” Two of their most recognized ships were the Drekar and Knarr. Drekar, the dragon headed longships, were furtive carriers and would travel the oceans under sail yet change to manned oars for quick getaways after attacks on towns and monasteries. While the Knarr, an ocean cargo ship, assisted trade networks and used to colonize Iceland, Greenland, and America. Wood rots fast so there was little left of most of the longships. A few did survive because of the Viking tradition where they buried rich people in the ships. In an Icelandic Saga, it includes sailing directions from Norway to Greenland and relies of landmarks, birds and whales are used to signal incoming land. When possible they sailed within sight of land. Since Vikings did not have compasses, they navigated by the sun and stars. Many of the voyages Vikings took were with the goal of trade and recruiting mercenaries. Vikings actually discovered the Americas before Christopher Columbus ever did, and Viking settlements can be found as far east of Russia. Author of the book “Vikings”, Susan Margeson, states that, “Around 1001, Leif Ericksonn [a Viking explorer] became the first European to set foot in North America probably in Newfoundland, Canada.” An archeological site in Newfoundland, L’Anse aux Meadow, was found as a Viking settlement formed hundreds of years before Columbus traveled to

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