Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

"A new study of wooden artifacts found at Newfoundland's famed L'Anse aux Meadows site shows that Vikings lived, and felled trees, on North American soil exactly 1,000 years ago -- during the year 1021 C.E. The evidence, published today in Nature, means that these Norse seafarers accomplished the earliest known crossing of the Atlantic from Europe to the Americas. Such incredibly precise dating of the wood was possible thanks to an intriguing new method that examined growth rings for a once-in-a-millennium cosmic-ray event that showered Earth with high energy particles in 993 C.E. Finding that telltale spike in the tree rings allowed scientists to count additional rings outside that mark to pinpoint the exact year the Vikings cut fir and juniper trees here, as they lived and explored on the edge of the continent.

[...]

"Kuitems wasn't looking for outstanding examples of Norse woodworking skill. 'What we used was basically rubbish,' she says, 'which was really good for research because we were looking for pieces of wood that included their bark edges. If you have an artifact or even a construction beam, often those outer layers are stripped off.' The bark would be part of the ingenious dating method's endgame.

[...]

"By examining cells on the bark edge, the group could even determine in what season of the year each tree was felled."

-- Brian Handwerk, "New Dating Method Shows Vikings Occupied Newfoundland in 1021 C.E.", Smithsonian Magazine, 2021-10-20