Viking exploration of North America predates Columbus

Historical evidence indicates that Vikings explored North American territories approximately 500 years before Christopher Columbus reached the Bahamas in 1492. While these early voyages lacked official recognition or ceremonies, details were preserved through epic sagas, such as the 14th-century Icelandic manuscript Flateyjarbók.

This manuscript contains accounts of Norse colonization in Greenland during the 10th century and subsequent attempts to settle North America. Archaeological findings have corroborated these oral traditions. In 1960, a Viking settlement was discovered at L'Anse aux Meadows on Newfoundland, Canada. Recent dating methods applied in 2021 confirmed that the site was occupied roughly 1,000 years ago, serving as an exploration base for navigating deeper into the North American continent.