Medieval Icelandic sagas describe journeys west from Greenland, including voyages associated with Leif Erikson and a region called Vinland. The settlement supports the broader accounts of Norse travel, but archaeologists cannot confirm that Leif himself stayed there. Nor can they establish how many expeditions reached the coast.

Ancient settlement reveals clues about Norse exploration and indigenous contact

Butternuts found at the settlement offer another clue. Because the trees do not grow naturally in Newfoundland, Parks Canada says the finds suggest travel farther south or contact with Indigenous trading networks.