Colonization begins with Vikings, not Columbus

i can't remember the source off the top of my head...but there is some circumstantial evidence to prove at lease one viking ship load of people made it down to South America! for when the spanish were exploring they did come across a small tribe of blonde people...or it could have just been a genetic mutation...;):rolleyes:

There's a good deal more genetic variety in the Native American pool than we usually care to acknowledge. While blond is certainly not what you'd expect to see, it needn't be proof of contact with Vikings. It could be no more than a survival of a pocket of the gene pre-epidemic.

There are similar stories about blond Indians from Canada (the Beothuk) and IIRC somewhere in the Midwest. I have yet to see any good data (then again, it's not like I've actively looked). And we have the Kennewick Man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennewick_Man

Just to make things more complicated. (a remarkably balanced article for contentious a subject)
 
Also some genetic tests have proven that inuit have some genes in common with Icelanders, so it's apparent that they engaged in something else other than fighting sometime between 1000-1400.

Probably quite early since it spreads beyond Greenland and into Canada, but however doesn't reach Alaska. (Which would've been ASB anyway:p)
 
Also some genetic tests have proven that inuit have some genes in common with Icelanders, so it's apparent that they engaged in something else other than fighting sometime between 1000-1400.

Probably quite early since it spreads beyond Greenland and into Canada, but however doesn't reach Alaska. (Which would've been ASB anyway:p)

Hm...this would lead to the assumption that this was even more pronounced in the Norse Greenlanders.
 
Hm...this would lead to the assumption that this was even more pronounced in the Norse Greenlanders.

It's though quite difficult to say anything with great certainty. The inuit kidnapped some children, so maybe it's that? Also one cannot account for all travels of the inuit afterwards, but it's an interesting subject to look at
 
It's though quite difficult to say anything with great certainty. The inuit kidnapped some children, so maybe it's that? Also one cannot account for all travels of the inuit afterwards, but it's an interesting subject to look at

It depends -did it show Norse genes in the Inuit gene pool, or Inuit ones in the Norse one?

I would guess at the latter since it is easier to investigate the Icelandic gene pool. Inuit kidnapping children would move no genes to the Norse. You'd need the kidnappings to go the other way for that. I was thinking you'd have interbreeding or marriage happening in Greenland or more likly Canada on (nar)whaling trips, and later on decendants of those connection bred on, or moved to Iceland.
 
I would bet its eskimos in the norse pool yes.
Probally some inter-marriage but I'd bet the majority comes from some being took as slaves by the norse- under their system of slavery if someone was born to a slave and a free man they were considered free. And of course the norse doubtless made good use of their slaves on the cold winter nights.
 
Top