Perhaps the Norse were not simply farmers who happened to hunt walruses.

Perhaps their entire presence in Greenland was partly sustained by the ability to participate in a distant luxury trade.

The implications are enormous.

If European demand for walrus ivory changed, Greenland’s economic value could decline.

If walrus hunting became more difficult because sea conditions changed, the trade could decline.

If ships became less frequent, exporting ivory and importing necessities would become harder at the same time.

A remote colony could therefore experience a feedback loop.