On January 10, 2003, it was my pleasure to address this subject to a local chapter of an international intellectual society, whose charter, however, precludes formal support either for or against any position. The intent was to engage members into debate on the genetic issue of this program, and in this it was successful in that there was no immediate counter to it. In order to present the program it became necessary to condense the background material to a reasonable length. The exercise of doing this made some gains and constitutes a good synopsis. Follows:
For historical continuity; Christopher Columbus' "Siglum" (seal, formal signature) indicates his sophisticated awareness of the true geography of the North Atlantic Ocean entire; his entry into the Portuguese maritime at a time when the Kings of Portugal and Denmark were in treaty alliance to explore west of Iceland; his recorded statement that in the month of February, 1477, he was at a place "100 leagues" (370 miles) west of Iceland and so far North as 73 deg. N.
His near certain contact with Scandinavian Vikings at that locale or in transit via Iceland; his implied knowledge of the Vinland Sagas; at that time as remote from him as he is from us today.
The European Greenland colony, at that time in decline and soon to be abandoned, was representative of the high cultural order of North European peoples; "Northmen" an over-maligned and grossly misunderstood people; Iceland the first of democratic republics originating coincidently with the Vinland Voyages; Vikings/seamen a result of developed seafaring of the Baltic environs, their ships as capable as many modern sailing vessels; modern science proves capability by findings of high proportion of Turkish genes in the modern Icelandic population; the distance from Iceland to Constantinople a fifth the distance around the world; if transposed to the American continents would extend as far as from Iceland to Brazil.
Norse sagas a cultural phenomenon seemingly quite accurate by being superior literature; testing mainly accurately against recorded genealogies, etc.; Vinland sagas lost with Greenland colonies but partially enveloped in Icelandic literature; much more extensive and detailed than is commonly transmitted into English/American scholastic norms.
This writer's initiative in collating the previously scattered recordings into a narrative form enables added analysis of Vinland and its separate landfalls; from this newer insight it is possible to discover that the Vinland chronicles are so much more thorough as to detail that four separate expeditions made the trip; that one ship traversed three times or more; that one individual traversed twice; that two Norse children were born in the New World 500 years before Columbus; that three Vinland settlements are described and another landfall so detailed as to possibly identify; that there were no fewer than 18 landfalls and landings made on the coast of Vinland itself; moreover, that in some cases the sequence in transit of these landfalls can be deduced; that saga remark of milder climate and a solar observation indicate a locale south of 45deg N.
Capabilities of the ships and this minute detail aids in overcoming prejudice of consideration of Cape Cod environs as Leif Erickson's Vinland. In the meantime, apparently scholars at the known site at L'Anse aux Meadows (Newfoundland) have developed at their own initiative insights that the true Vinland is actually further south than that place.
That the description of Leifsbudir is enhanced by analysis to possess at least 5 criteria for the river mouth alone and at least 12 criteria for inland conditions; plus one "key" criteria - a topographic feature large enough and dominant enough to either still exist, or its removal historically documented.
Narrow River/Pettaquamscutt River complex on the west approaches to Narragansett Bay in the State of Rhode Island meets all the criteria established above; the "key" topographic feature exists there; a situation, so far, an advancement in Vinland studies; is, perhaps, of great interest, yet fails of scientific provenance.
As a fortunate coincidence, the river came under scientific scrutiny by reason of a rare occurrence of natural topographic anomalies enabling study of certain peculiarities in Indian cultures; a comprehensive survey * was made of the river complex with full scientific provenance and C14 dating; the scientists of note express "astonishment" that Pettaquamscutt River alone among New England rivers demonstrates a distinct pre-historic cultural shift from former Indian waterside avoidance dwelling to a distinct and unusual waterside dwelling mode; and that this dynamic shift occurred as a result of an apparent incursion "about a thousand years ago", which is coincidental with the Vinland voyages; thus providing a valid approach to possible contact between two races much beyond mere speculation.
This dating and this river, therefore, apparently represents the origin of the unique culture of the local tribe named Narragansetts and recognizable at their earliest historical recording in 1524 (Giovanni Verrazanno) and a century later (1634) by their intimate and educated friend Roger Williams (English) who dwelt among them and published voluminous information concerning their culture and language, hinting strongly and in one case stating outright a perceived origin of the tribe from the north - from Iceland specifically. Both recorded this waterside and nautical ability of Narragansetts; also quite advanced cultural abilities such as counting to high numbers in a decimal system while the English used another; a uniform and systematic currency system; regulated land rights and established law resulting from a hierarchal social order atypical of other Amerinds, etc. Among the volume of information is the curious observation that the terrible epidemic of 1615, which desolated and seriously depleted Indian populations all along the eastern seaboard, seems not to have affected the Narragansetts themselves (5 criteria). Public immunity patterns apparently were coincidental with the colonists rather than with immediate neighboring Aborigine groups.
An 1858 excavation of a Narragansett cemetery (dated 1660) by an amateur archeologist (Usher Parsons M.D.) discovered an opulent burial of a Narragansett "Princess" subsequently found to have possessed a "sophisticated" response to TB that generated tremendous excitement in the scholar (S.S. Rider) who discovered it. The excavation revealed several peculiarities of the population, thus: the cemetery itself being at variance with other Indian burial practices across the continent; the opulence of the grave indicating a high status of women in their society unusual among Amerinds elsewhere; and the presence of the "sophisticated" TB response.
Recent excavations near the river complex reveal with full scientific provenance advancements from the above. The more recently excavated cemetery (also c.1660)* was found to be as orderly and regular as any European but with a different form; graves placed four abreast in a long and narrow configuration oriented SW/NE. Bodies were placed "almost all" on right sides, in flexed positions, and heads toward the SW, indicating that this was a unique cultural practice unaffected by Christianity or adjacent colonists. Of 56 bodies examined with full scientific provenance, 17 were found to have possessed sophisticated responses to TB as revealed as lesions upon bones. This situation is unique among American Aborigines, few, if any, demonstrate this ability; thus a second and more definitive consideration that the genetic structure of the individuals was not the same as immediate neighbors. Therefore, it must have been the result of genetic admixture of two populations at some time in their history; and that one of the populations had developed longer term resistance to TB by an even longer exposure to the disease at a place removed from the American continents.
In the address I stated this as proof of my contention that Pettaquamscutt/Narrow river complex is the actual landing site of Leif Erickson near AD1000 and was not controverted. The material was accepted without dissension and apparently I made the point of difference between the tuberculosis itself and the response to it. I had noted as examples antibodies of Yellow Fever (Central America) and Blackwater Fever (Africa) to demonstrate that a response (ability to create antibodies) necessarily had to have the two factors involved; exposure to the disease and a successful resistance to it, the latter being then established as an hereditable factor. Those who failed to so respond died and the genetic weakness eliminated from the human equation. As an added example I noted that small pox "pocks" on facial complexions (which I had observed commonly in my youth) was a successful response to that dread disease precisely as bone lesions of TB were to "consumption" (TB). While small pox pits were an absolute success (the victim lived), the TB lesions were only partial, indicating that the victim was at least moderately successful in delaying the time of death; but sometimes into old age. Indeed, I have been informed that in Europe, these lesions can be used to trace migration patterns of populations. But in America this cannot be done as, so far as I have been able to determine, the condition does not exist elsewhere in any North or South American Indian population. Thus, this appearance in the Narragansett population is unique and indicative of either a first appearance or an inherited genetic factor, the latter being by far the more likely of the two.
Keeping the mind organized in the separate departments of disease and response is difficult and I still find it awkward to adequately express it. In the report of the latter excavations (peer reviewed, which I had to hand during the address) I noted none of the scholars of note nor the peer reviewers were able to answer the anomaly. One reviewer was so far afield as to attribute it to "reservation living", not being aware of the very early date some 150 years before reservations were invented, nor the comparable weakness of the colonists at that time. In 1660 I doubt that there were any English settlements more than five or ten miles from water anywhere along the coast and Narragansett military power the largest of any in the area either Indian or English. (The present borders of Rhode Island are the only ones set by Indian presence rather than English politics.) The scholars of note addressed it merely as possibly that some organism in the soil might mimic the pathology (miss-diagnosis?), but if this were so as to aid in an immunology to TB, then later populations of the area would, I should think, demonstrate a healthier response to TB, but this did not happen.
Frederick N. Brown, 3rd copyright 2003
*for bibliographies, see: website page < vinlandsite.com/proofpage >
For a more thorough discussion of the issue see: Plain Talk on the Genetic Issue