Pre-Columbian Murals and Norse Sagas Suggest Vikings Met the Aztecs, and the Outcome Was Not...

Ahhhh, the joys of reading SciFi at an early age; and yes a number of authors said it could have happened... Then I read somewhere on the travels of St. Benedict of Ireland and the desire for solitude by the monks, dig into several scalds by the Norse and a lovely tome titled "1421 when China Discovered America". Authors and their research got'ta love 'em.

Until physical artifacts from the Norse cultue are found in Mexico (as they were in Newfoundland), these stories can't be proven. Even when artifacts are found, they will be endlessly debated by deniers (witness the stone found in Minnesota covered with runic writing and dated to the 1340's), who will claim the artifacts are fakes. There are a lot of stories of European and Asian cultures making it to the New World before 1492 - some of them no doubt true. But proving their truth is another thing altogether.

Erin Nelson great read. I always root for the indians especially the native Americans of our country. I have a nephew who is native American.