Taken from a woodcutting of Eric the Red
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Image is in public domain.
Viking/Norse Exploration
The Vikings were a group of people that lived in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages. From about 800 AD through about 1050 AD,
the Vikings were very busy exploring the areas around them. This time period is also called
the Viking Age.
The Vikings did travel to many areas around Europe, North Africa, Russia, the Middle East and even North America. Sometimes they stayed there and settled down. Sometimes they just came to raid the area, trade with the people or explore.
The Vikings traveled a lot by boat.
One of the most famous Vikings is Eric the Red, who is thought to have discovered Greenland. His son was Lief Ericson. Lief Ericson was the first European to land in North America when he and his crew reached what is now Newfoundland, Canada. That was about 500 years before Columbus's time!
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