Evidence for European presence in the Americas in ad 1021

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 601; no. 7893; pp. 388 - 391
• Main Authors: Kuitems, Margot, Wallace, Birgitta L., Lindsay, Charles, Scifo, Andrea, Doeve, Petra, Jenkins, Kevin, Lindauer, Susanne, Erdil, Pınar, Ledger, Paul M., Forbes, Véronique, Vermeeren, Caroline, Friedrich, Ronny, Dee, Michael W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20-01-2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 101/58; 631/181/19/27; 631/181/27; 631/449/1736; 639/766/930/296; Age; Americas; Biota; Canada; Carbon 14; Cosmic Radiation; Cosmic rays; Emigrants and Immigrants; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; multidisciplinary; Newfoundland and Labrador; Paleontology; Radiation; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Americas; Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Northern Hemisphere
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03972-8

Transatlantic exploration took place centuries before the crossing of Columbus. Physical evidence for early European presence in the Americas can be found in Newfoundland, Canada
1
,
2
. However, it has thus far not been possible to determine when this activity took place
3
–
5
. Here we provide evidence that the Vikings were present in Newfoundland in
ad
 1021. We overcome the imprecision of previous age estimates by making use of the cosmic-ray-induced upsurge in atmospheric radiocarbon concentrations in
ad
 993 (ref. 
6
). Our new date lays down a marker for European cognisance of the Americas, and represents the first known point at which humans encircled the globe. It also provides a definitive tie point for future research into the initial consequences of transatlantic activity, such as the transference of knowledge, and the potential exchange of genetic information, biota and pathologies
7
,
8
.
Precise dating of wooden artefacts at a Norse settlement in Newfoundland establishes that the Norse were in the Americas in
ad
 1021.