The discovery of a Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in 1960 provided concrete proof that Icelandic and Greenlandic explorers reached North America centuries before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Anne Stine Ingstad, working alongside her husband Helge Ingstad, led the international excavation team that uncovered these sod houses, forge remains, and boathouses on the island of Newfoundland.
Academic Background and Early Career
Born in 1918 in Lillehammer, Norway, Anne Stine Moe attended the University of Oslo during the 1950s. She completed a master's degree in Nordic archaeology in 1960. Before embarking on her primary fieldwork in Canada, she served as a curator at the Norwegian Forestry Museum located in Elverum between 1960 and 1961.
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Between 1961 and 1968, the Ingstads directed a multinational archaeological investigation at L'Anse aux Meadows. This site, now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site of Canada, yielded evidence of an 11th-century Norse presence. The findings included domestic structures and industrial features that challenged existing historical timelines regarding trans-Atlantic exploration. These discoveries were later detailed in their 2001 publication, The Viking Discovery of America.
Textile Analysis and Later Work
Transitioning to a state research fellowship in 1977, she focused her analytical efforts on textiles recovered from historical excavation sites at Kaupang and Oseberg. Her collaborative research with archaeologists Bjørn Myhre and Arne Emil Christensen Jr. culminated in the 1992 publication of Osebergdronningens grav. This phase of her career established her expertise in the preservation and analysis of early Nordic textile materials.
Recognition and Professional Standing
Her contributions to historical research were widely acknowledged through numerous accolades and memberships. She received the Fridtjof Nansen Award for outstanding research in 1985 and was granted the Patron’s Medal in 1991. Additionally, she was appointed Commander of the Order of St. Olav that same year. An honorary doctorate was conferred by Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1969, and she became a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science in 1990.
Fast facts
- Born: 1918, Lillehammer, Norway
- Died: 1997, Oslo, Norway
- Spouse: Helge Ingstad
- Education: University of Oslo
- Field: Archaeology
- Major Discovery: L'Anse aux Meadows, 1960
- Awards: Patron’s Medal (1991), Fridtjof Nansen Award (1985)
- Notable Publication: The Viking Discovery of America (2001)
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the L'Anse aux Meadows discovery?
It proved that Norse explorers reached North America approximately 500 years before Christopher Columbus and John Cabot.
What was the focus of her research after the L'Anse aux Meadows excavations?
She studied textile remains from the Oseberg and Kaupang excavation sites, leading to the 1992 book Osebergdronningens grav.
Achievements
- Educated at University of Oslo
- Fields of research: archaeology
