THE EASTERN SETTLEMENT: A EUROPEAN WORLD BUILT FROM TURF AND STONE

The Eastern Settlement was not a single town.

It was a scattered landscape of farms stretching along the fjords of southern Greenland.

Archaeologists have identified hundreds of Norse farm sites in the broader settlement region.

The farm was the basic unit.

Buildings were commonly constructed with stone, turf, and whatever timber could be obtained.

Turf was especially valuable because it provided insulation.

Thick walls helped moderate interior temperatures, while stone foundations gave structures stability.