The Utilisation of Native Woodland in Norse Greenland

Wood was a key raw material for past societies and no less so in the Arctic region where woodland is sparse. When Norse settlers came to Greenland in the late tenth century AD, the pristine environment had not been affected by other humans for centuries. It has been assumed that the Norse had a negative effect on the environment, with drastic woodland clearance resulting in a more or less treeless landscape, contributing to the eventual demise of the Norse Greenlandic society. Recent palynological studies indicate that the environmental impact was in fact more complex. Wood taxonomic analyses on artefacts and samples from five Norse Greenlandic sites (1000–1400 AD) show that 36% of the combined assemblages (total of 8552 pieces) derive from native woodland. Mostly, it was used to make small-sized objects, but it was also an important source of nutrients, fuel, fodder and insulation. The proportion of native woodland was significantly higher on medium-sized farms than at the one high-status farm studied, indicating that socioeconomic factors impacted wood acquisition. Although local woodlands could not sustain all the timber needs of the Norse Greenlanders, it made up a substantial component of their wood procurement strategies.