1. By Cate LiaBraaten

2. Historical Background Norse settlers reached the New World 500 years before Columbus. Often left out of history because of their limited impact (Wilford, 1992). Colonies did not thrive; there has been much speculation as to why.

3. Vikings and the Sea Adept sailors-in Scandinavia ocean travel was often faster than travel by land (Diamond, 2005). The sea was tied into myth-helped the Norse make the first discovery of an oceanic gyre (Scigliano, 2009).

4. Causes for Failure Environmental- Encountered “Little Ice Age,” which limited trading and made survival difficult, few opportunities for agriculture Cultural-Clung to pastoralism and European lifeways, did not adapt. Culture also caused poor interaction with the environment.

5. Research Methods Archaeological-Middens, Farmsteads Historical-Sagas Ice Cores-Climate records

6. Conclusion Studying the failures of societies is an interdisciplinary endeavor. Events in human history are often too complex for any one solution.

7. Sources Cited: Diamond, Jared, 2005, Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed, New York, The Penguin Group Scigliano, Eric, 2009, “Vikings were the first oceanographers,”: New Scientist 201.2700, p. 42-43