St Anthony and L'Anse aux Meadows

 Aug 29

Started our day at Tim Hortons because our chances of getting to one were getting slim and we had to do it once - which was more than enough, although Matthew said the coffee was good.  The beast part was that it was like being in the play Come From Away. Almost every new person that entered was greeted by name by someone there and we overthrew who died, who was looking for a job, and who had stopped drinking. The ubiquitous group of retired guys was there, talking about the weather and food fishing. 

We drove out of town to Fishing Point Municipal Park

A ray of sunshine

Site of a viking dinner and show

Super windy and chilly

Explored the little museum - this is an ugly stick used during musical kitchen parties

We were very surprised to learn that there are a lot of black bears in NL - we haven't seen a single warning about them this whole time here. 

The town of St Anthony

Then we drove out to L'Anse aux Meadows

In the 60's these 2 recognized the area as a possible landing site for the vikings. The archeological digs they performed confirmed L'Anse aux Meadows as the only authenticated site of Norse settlement in North America.

Norse exploration around 1,000 CE. While they explored further into Vinland, south from here, this is the only place where archeological evidence of their sod houses and other items of their presence is found. 

Diorama of settlement

It was along this creek that iron ore was found and gathered for smelting by the Norse (Norse were traders and farmers whereas Vikings generally refers to parts and warriors)

A current dig is being conducted to study the effect of humans on the soil in the bog and plant regeneration

Longhouse on the left with 4 rooms. 

Main room where members gathered, cooked, and slept propped up in the benches along the sides. 

There is a rock lined trench under the long rock that embers would have been placed in to keep food warm

Playing the lyre

Loom 

Braiding loom 

Wool was dyed with plants, onion skins, etc and set with stale urine. The origin of the urine would make a difference in the dye wool - male, female, baby, woman on her cycle, etc. 

This lichen mixed with urine would produce a purple color

Lathe 

The chief and his wife had their own room, which included cupboard beds

The blacksmith's building

Iron in its stages from raw to finished. A description of how they created iron for working is here

Replica of a furnace guy for iron smelting

Camped at a trail head in Straitsview - commentary is ours