Document written by pope alexander vi
In the document written by Pope Alexander VI shown on the left, he described the poverty of the remaining settlers and explained that ships could only sail to Greenland during August due to the large and numerous formations of ice (Logan 1983, 78). A book written in the 1200’s described the ice hazards around Greenland as so hazardous that, “when one has sailed over the deepest part of the ocean, he will meet almost at once huge masses of ice in the sea, a phenomenon without parallel anywhere else" (Larson 1917, 138). This abundance of ice and the hazardous sea was what finally caused the end of trade with Norway (Logan 1983, 78).
viking route
This map shows Scandinavian trading routes to Iceland & Greenland
for more information about click on the link below
http://www.nortrade.com/invest/norway-at-a-glance/background/
http://www.nortrade.com/invest/norway-at-a-glance/background/
Why Navigation to Greenland Became More Dangerous for Scandinavian Traders?
This image shows how dangerous it was to travel to Greenland. |
Navigation between Scandinavian Norse and the Greenland Norse was very difficult. Only the Norwegian knarrs could navigate through the treacherous ice to bring the colonists resources such as iron, timber, grain, and salt (La Fay 1972, 122). The Norse Greenlanders did not have the right type of ships for long seafaring expeditions like the Scandinavian people did. Their boats were small, which helped them travel along the West Greenland coast, but prevented them from long-range travel, which made them dependent on their trade partners (Orlove 2005, 594). The risk of danger presented by the routes to the ships and sailors no longer outweighed the value of the exports that Greenland could provide.
What is a Knarr or
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