Evidence of Viking Presence in Notre Dame Bay

[DeepFrz]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Not sure why you would say that. As a rule the first Europeans to land in the New World were treated like gods. Columbus gave the natives in the Bahamas small trinkets like bells (which seemed magical due to the sound they made) and other trade goods they had never seen. The first and third islands he made land fall at he was able to trade for much needed water and a few of the natives acted as guides for him.

It was only later that hostilities broke out, in part due to the Europeans trying to establish settlements and taking liberties with the women. The thing was as bad as the Europeans treated women (both European and native women) it was often better than the native females were treated by the native males. Something even common to day as first world men usually treat third world women better than third world men treat third world women.

The European sailors introduced disease into the native populations. I assume that is why the relationship broke down. Disease killed many of the natives in the Islands, North America, South America and the Pacific Islands. Not least among the diseases introduced were gonorrhea and syphilis but also the pox wiped out many and vastly reduced the native populations.

[hpeer]

Last year at Aux A Meadows the thought was that a lot of what drove the Viking expeditions was wood. Supposedly the woods around the site had been clear cut. Wood was a precious commodity. They would partially disassemble their boats to furnish the temporary shelters and then take it back.

Also they said the settlement was burned either by the Vikings as they left or very shortly thereafter.

[hpeer]

Current thinking at Aux ah Meadows is that the settlement was much about finding wood. The forests around it had been clear cut at the time. Wood was dear to the Greenlanders.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

The European sailors introduced disease into the native populations. I assume that is why the relationship broke down. Disease killed many of the natives in the Islands, North America, South America and the Pacific Islands. Not least among the diseases introduced were gonorrhea and syphilis but also the pox wiped out many and vastly reduced the native populations.

No question smallpox killed large numbers of Native Americans. There is no record of syphilis in Europe before Columbus returned and the first records of syphilis are after his voyage. Modern science ascribes the large number of deaths of Native Americans to their lack of robust immune systems, at least compared to the Europeans who developed better immune systems through contact with domestic animals and more dense living quarters. A big part of why relationships broke down was the Europeans treatment of Native women which in today's view would basically be rape. There was also the almost single minded lust for gold by the Europeans to the exclusion of almost everything else.