P
Itzá, a great urban center whose structures combine
aspects of both of these cultures.ca. 1000The Norse begin trading with the
indigenous people of Vinland.
According to Norse sagas of the 12th and 13th cen-
turies, Norse explorer Leif Eriksson purchases a boat
from a sailor named Bjarni Herjolfsson, who claims
that when blown off coast traveling west from Green-
land he sighted the coast of a large landmass. In
Herjolfsson’s boat, Eriksson sets off to find it. He and
his crew explore two islands; one they call Helluland,
and another they name Markland. Scholars later
identify them as Baffin Island and Labrador, respec-
tively. The Norsemen also come upon a land with
rich soil, plentiful game and fish, and large patches of
wild grapevines. After this last feature, the explorers
dub the region Vinland, which is most often identi-
fied with Newfoundland (see entry for 1960).“What the natives wanted most
to buy was red cloth: they also
wanted to buy swords an spears,
but Karlsefni and Snorri forbade
that. In exchange for the cloth
they traded grey pelts. The na-
tives took a span of red cloth
for each pelt, and tied the cloth
round their heads. The trading
went on like this for a while until
the cloth began to run short:
then Karlsefni and his men cut
it up into pieces which were
no more than a finger’s breadth
wide; but the Skraelings paid just
as much or even more for it.”
—from the Norse
Graænlendinga SagaEriksson’s party remains in Vinland for nearly a
year. There they build settlements and come in con-
tact with the indigenous people of the area—most
likely either Inuit or Beothuk—whom the Norsemen
call Skraelings (literally “wretches”). The Skraelings
give the travelers animal pelts and ivory in exchange
for metal tools and wool. Other encounters are less
fruitful: on several occasions, the Norsemen kill Sk-
raelings. Eriksson’s crew will abandon the settlement,
possibly due to indigenous resistance to their acts of
violence. (See also entry for CA. 1007.)ca. 1000 to 1130The Mimbres begin creating painted
pottery.
The Mogollon (see entry for CA. 200 TO 1400)
of Mimbres Valley in what is now southwestern
New Mexico begin crafting decorative bowls that
are likely used in ceremonies. Made by Mimbres
women, their unique pots are painted with geomet-
ric designs and human, animal, and mythological
figures. The vessels are often placed in graves, over
the head of the corpse. Before a corpse is entombed,
a hole is punched into the base of the pot to “kill”
it ritually and allow its spirit to travel to the after-
world. In the 20th century, the beautiful Mimbres
ceramics will be treasured by art collectors.ca. 1007Norsemen kill eight “Skraelings.”
As recorded in Norse sagas, Thorvald Eriksson, the
brother of Leif Eriksson (see entry for CA. 1000),
and a crew of 35 are exploring the coast of the
Atlantic Ocean when they spy on the beach nine
indigenous people, whom the Norse refer to as
Skraelings. Without provocation, the Norsemen at-
tack. All of the Skraelings are killed, except for one
who manages to escape by canoe. Another party of
Skraelings avenge the murders by shooting arrows
at the invader’s ship. Eriksson is killed in the attack,
and his crew returns to Greenland.ca. 1000