When AiPT! asked me to review the new six-part Science Channel series, America’s Lost Vikings, I was apprehensive, but a little hopeful. First, it was on the Science Channel; that’s safe, right? Also, it’s headed by two archaeologists, Blue Nelson and Mike Arbuthnot. I don’t know either man, so I did a little digging. Blue Nelson... Continue Reading →
Where the Vikings Weren’t – Wrap Up.
So what have we learned so far about the Viking presence in America? Well, we've looked at all the past usual suspects: The Newport Tower. - Where we discuss where the tower came from and why it looks so much like a Norse tower. The reality of this structure seems to be that it's really a... Continue Reading →
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Where the Vikings Weren’t – Beardmore Relics
This week we have another puzzler, unlike the Wisconsin Viking Horse Skull, we know these artifacts are real. The question becomes, how did they get here? In 1930 or 1931, a gold prospector named James Edward Dodd was prospecting just south of the Blackwater River (Elliott 1941a:254.) Dodd says while prospecting he blew up an old... Continue Reading →
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Where the Vikings Weren’t – Wisconsin Viking Horse Skull
So here is an interesting puzzle for us to consider. Not because there is any evidence that the artifact was left by Vikings, but because of the controversy over if the artifact is the real fake one or not. A little background is required here: Back in 1935 and 1936, Ralph Linton and W.C. McKern,... Continue Reading →
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Where the Vikings Weren’t – The Kensington Runestone.
Even though I’m only going to focus on one of the American Runestones (of which there are several), to date, none are thought to be authentic by anyone who is knowledgeable of such things. This doesn't stop the conspiratorially minded however. Probably the most popular of the American Runestones is the Kensington Runestone. Named for... Continue Reading →
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Where the Vikings Weren’t – The Vinland Map
Vinland Map. The Vinland map is an interesting artifact, one that captured my attention as a child. Frankly, I think the evidence points to the map being a fake, but there are a some who still fight for it to be real. The Vinland map first surface in 1957 glued inside the of the cover of a bound volume of Hystoria Tartarorum (Feder 2006:119,... Continue Reading →
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Where the Vikings Weren’t – The Newport Tower.
In our first installment of this series we looked over the actual factual, evidence of both Christopher Columbus and Leif Eiriksson discovering the Americas. Arguably, you could say Columbus discovered South America, and Leif the North. I would say, simply touching a rock on one park of a massive continent complex doesn't equal discovering both bits of America, but that's my opinion on the matter. Apparently some folks agree... Continue Reading →
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Columbus was Second-ish: Who Discovered America Anyway? Mayhaps the Vikings?
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. He set out on a bold new mission to reach out to new civilizations and boldly go where no one had gone before. Or was that Star Trek? Either way, when many of us were in grade school, we were taught that Christopher Columbus discovered America. Some of us, if we were lucky, were taught that he thought he had discovered Asia since he... Continue Reading →
