Maine

Several places in Maine have possible (arguably) Viking connections which are not easily explained. Some unusual petroglyphs or other carvings are noted by some archeologists to be similar to those seen in very old Neolithic European sites. These are a few among the many mysterious places in the easternmost of the United States.

At Grand Lake Stream, Maine, a tunnel-like chamber was discovered in the 1980's which seemed to be coated with a yellow ochre. Within the debris of the chamber, several unusual artifacts were found, carved stone pieces engraved with symbols and rune-like inscriptions completely unseen in local Native American works. If the chamber was for a buriel, the skeletal remains have long since disappeared due to acidic soil conditions. Not far away, a ledge is covered with petroglyphs of all sorts, many of which seem similar enough to known local tribes' works, but some of which are completely unknown and often runic-appearing.

drawing of stone amulet

One of the artifacts found at Grand Lake Stream.

(From Field Guide to Mysterious Places of Eastern North America by Salvatore M. Trento)

A little further south, near Acadia National Park, an amateur archeologist digging in an old Native American rubbish heap (midden) found a thin, badly worn disk which had a cross on one side and an animal head on the other. At first the object was identified as a twelfth-century English coin, which would make it a most unusual find at that. However in the late 1970's, a noted British coin specialist said that the coin was most certainly a Norse penny, probably dating from the 1070's. Since it was discovered in a coastal site, one can speculate that a Viking crew indeed stopped nearby and traded or gave the coin to the local people, perhaps for food or other goods.

In southeastern Maine, on the small island of Manana is a rocky ledge with rune-like carvings, "discovered" in modern times in the 1850's. For many years, these inscriptions were cited as definitive evidence of early Viking contact, however theories and conclusions have changed over the years. Geologists from the Carnegie Museum declared the "runes" to be natural erosion and phenomenon. Some archeologists felt the carvings to be a form of Celtic ogham, an ancient Irish script. One even 'translated' the runes to read "Long-ships from Phoenicia. Cargos and landing docks here." This implies some sort of contact with Phoenicians, an ancient marine-hardy people, and supposes a date of about 700 to 400 B.C.!

script sample from Manana Island

Hinge-Ogham lettering, an ancient Celtic form, on Manana Island?

Large forested areas of Maine remain "undiscovered" in modern times, and no doubt hide mysterious and intriguing lithic sites. Inhabited mostly by various branches of the Algonquin peoples for several thousand years, no doubt many of these unusual places can be credited to them. Along the beautiful rugged coasts of Maine, however, the question remains: did ancient sea-faring people from across the Atlantic visit and leave a tenuous mark on the landscape?

L'anse-aux-Meadows

L'Anse-aux-Meadows; foundation of a Viking homestead.

(National Geographic Society)

At this time, the only indisputably Viking site in North America is L'Anse-aux-Meadows, in northern Newfoundland. Since this site does not satisfy the conditions of 'Vinland' related in Norse sagas, we can only speculate that the Viking tales of a land of temperate climate, grapes and self-sowing wheat must indicate another place, or that the stories were embellished before being committed to written works.

For bibliography and suggested reading, see Lithic.

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