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 Modern reconstruction of Thjodhild's church, withTunulliarfik Fjord in the background (then called Eriksfjord) | |
  Brattahlíð Location of Brattahlíð in Greenland | |
| Alternative name | Brattahlid |
|---|---|
| Location | 5 km Southwest fromNarsarsuaq,Greenland |
| Region | Greenland |
| Coordinates | 61°09′08″N45°30′54″W / 61.15222°N 45.51500°W /61.15222; -45.51500 |
| History | |
| Associated with | Norsemen |
| Part of | Kujataa Greenland: Norse and Inuit Farming at the Edge of the Ice Cap |
| Criteria | Cultural: v |
| Reference | 1536-001 |
| Inscription | 2017 (41stSession) |
Brattahlíð (Old Norse pronunciation:[ˈbrɑttɑˌhliːð]), often anglicised asBrattahlid, wasErik the Red's estate in theEastern SettlementVikingcolony he established in south-westernGreenland toward the end of the 10th century. The present settlement ofQassiarsuk is now located on the former estate. The site is about 96 km (60 mi) from the ocean, at the head of theTunulliarfik Fjord, and hence sheltered from ocean storms.
Erik and his descendants lived there until about the mid-15th century. The nameBrattahlíð means "the steep slope". The estate, along with other archeological sites in southwestern Greenland, was inscribed on theUNESCOWorld Heritage List in 2017 as Kujataa Greenland: Norse and Inuit Farming at the Edge of the Ice Cap.[1]
Traces of three separate Norse church buildings have been found at Brattahlíð.
The oldest of the three, and likely the firstchurch in the Americas, is called Þjóðhildarkirkja (Thjodhild's church). The structure, more like a chapel than a full church, was discovered in 1961, when the community began construction of a school and uncovered a human skull. The skull was taken to theNational Museum of Denmark, which prompted an archeological excavation at the site.[2] The dig revealed a u-shaped building constructed of wooden walls with an insulating shell of turf on the exterior (the west end did not have the turf insulation, resulting in the u-shaped mound). The church's interior was approximately 2 metres (6.6 ft) by 3.5 metres (11 ft). Foundation stones, surrounding the building at a distance, suggest a small turf wall. In the area between the building and surrounding wall were discovered graves. This early churchyard contained the remains of 144 buried individuals, but contained nograve goods nor were any grave markers with identifyingrunes discovered.[3]
In preparation for the millennial celebration ofLeif Erikson's voyage toVinland in 2000, a replica of Thjodhild's church was constructed at a distance from the actual site, along with a replica of a Norselonghouse.[4]
Closer to the site of the main longhouse was a stone church, built in the 13th century on top of an even older stone church (both constructed after the Norse community had all converted to Christianity).[5] It is possible the first stone church at this site was built by Leif Erikson's son, Thorkell, to replace his grandmother's small wooden and turf church.[6]
Here archaeologists have found melted fragments ofbell metal, and foundation stones of it and other buildings remained into the 20th century, as did the remnants of a possibleforge. This church measured 12.5 m (41 ft) by 4.5 m (15 ft) and had two entrances, with what was evidently ahearth in the middle. Apparently, fire destroyed it. Thechurchyard hastombstones, with a cross cut on one of them. Engraved in runes on another stone is: "Ingibjørg's Grave". Stones mark the church's outline, although they were likely placed there in more recent years; visitors can also see the surroundinggraveyard.
Onefarm building nearby measured 53 m (174 ft) by 14 m (46 ft), with stone walls about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) thick; aturf outer bank provided furtherinsulation. Inside, it had aflagstone floor. Flat stones — or, in one case, the shoulder-blade of awhale — formed the stalls. Some of these buildings still stood in 1953, contemporaneous with theBluie West One airfield at Narsarsuaq, but today they exist mostly as depressions in the ground.
Brattahlíð still has some of the best farmland in Greenland, owing to its location at the inner end ofEriksfjord, which protects it from the cold foggy weather andarctic waters of the outer coast. It has ayouth hostel and a small store. More extensive facilities exist in Narsarsuaq across the fjord.
Brattahlíð hosted the first GreenlandicÞing (parliament), based on the IcelandicAlthing. In the early 20th century through written sources and archeological evidence, scholars identified two potentialÞing sites at Brattahlíð and atGarðar. Given the sparse nature of the Greenlandic settlement, it is reasonable that the participants of aÞing would have taken the opportunity for social interaction or trade.[7]
The exact causes of the disappearance of the Norse settlements toward the end of the 15th century remain unverified, but probably resulted from a combination of theLittle Ice Age's cooling temperatures, soil erosion, abandonment by Norway after theBlack Plague and political turmoils, more convenient ways for Europeans to procure furs and a mercantile eclipsing by theHanseatic League, and competition from theInuit moving southward.
Media related toBrattahlíð, Greenland at Wikimedia CommonsAbandoned sites in Greenland | ||||||||||||||
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