People and Stories of Canada to 1867 - Portage & Main Press

© Portage & Main Press 2007. May be reproduced for classroom use.
Sample Pages
4. These early Viking settlers arranged their village buildings into three groups. Each group
had one large house that was about 22 metres long and divided into five or six rooms.
Several low fireplaces heated the house and provided light and cooking facilities. Wooden
sleeping bunks filled several of the rooms. Other rooms were used for eating, meeting,
and socializing. This large house was built with a timber frame with the walls and roof
made from sod.
5. One or two “pit” buildings were located next to the big house. These buildings were
much smaller structures that were dug into the ground, with low walls and roofs made
out of sod. The buildings were used as workshops for making tools, doing carpentry, and
repairing ships. In addition, there was a forge, used to smelt iron to make tools, weapons,
and nails.
6. Interestingly, there were no barns or shelters for the animals, but the entire settlement
was surrounded by a wooden fence.
7. The settlement lasted only a few years. Why did the Vikings abandon L’Anse aux
Meadows in Vinland? There are three theories that might explain it.
(a) The climate suddenly changed. Mild winters without snow became harsh, and the
settlers found it difficult to keep their livestock. The colder climate also meant a
change in the settlers’ diet due to the change in migration patterns of animals and
the difficulty in growing crops in the colder temperatures.
(b) Disease killed many and discouraged others from travelling. During this time the
plague was devastating Europe, killing millions of people. Even though Iceland,
Greenland, and Vinland were isolated, trade with other nations allowed the disease
to spread to Viking settlements.
(c) The Indigenous people of Vinland were often in conflict with the Vikings. In these
battles, the Vikings were usually outnumbered. Several deaths were recorded on
both sides.
Part B. Questions
1. On the map of Vinland provided on the previous page, label the following:
Newfoundland, Labrador, Québec, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Atlantic Ocean, L’Anse aux Meadows
2. (a) Which of the three theories do you think best explains why Vinland was abandoned?
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