During
the early 1930’s several historic finds were made near
Beardmore, Ontario, about 125 miles northeast of Port Arthur.
The finds have been collected and are preserved in the Royal
Ontario Museum, Toronto. The articles consist of a sword,
a battle axe, pieces of armour and the handle of a shield.
All are badly corroded, but have been positively identified
as of Norse origin and not later than the year 1000 A.D. The
finds point to a deeper penetration into the continent of
North America by the Norsemen in the 11th century that was
hitherto credited.
These proofs of early Scandinavian visits to North America
furnish a good historical setting for all Norse-American runic
inscriptions.
In Canada there is the Yarmouth Stone and a very interesting
Norse axe from north-eastern Nova Scotia, inscribed with sacred
Norse runes. Inscriptions found in Maine New Hampshire, and
Massachusetts together with ruins of very ancient habitations
along the Kennebec River, indicate a southward drift of the
Norsemen from 1041 until 1175, according to the Norse date
marks appearing on the stones. |
