L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, Newfoundland
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 51° 35.772 W 055° 31.976
21U E 601616 N 5717146
L’Anse aux Meadows is the name given to the remains of a Viking settlement circa 1000 A.D. which is believed to be the first European settlement in the Western Hemisphere.
Waymark Code: WMWVDZ
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Date Posted: 10/17/2017
Views: 13
In 1960, explorer Helge Ingstad and his archaeologist wife Anne Stine Ingstad began studying some grass covered mounds in the northern tip of Newfoundland. These were believed to be the remains of an old Indian village but the Instads had a different theory. After several years of excavations, they had dug up enough artifacts of Norse origin and other evidence to firmly conclude that the site was actually a Viking settlement, dating from around 1000 A.D. This predates Columbus’ voyages by about 500 years and makes this the first place Europeans set foot in North America.
Today the rather remote site is managed by Parks Canada and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the archaeological area, there are several reconstructed sod-covered buildings believed to be typical of the style used by Vikings of that era. One of these structures is partially visible on the stamp although there have been some slight alterations made over the years.
A sculpture entitled “Meeting of Two Worlds” can be found overlooking the site. It was created by Newfoundland artist Luben Boykov along with Swedish sculptor Richard Brixel and was unveiled in 2002. It is meant to represent the idea that this spot is where humans, migrating westward across Europe and sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, met other humans who had migrated eastward across Asia and the Bearing Straight thus coming full circle around the globe.
The stamp was one of 68 different designs issued in 1999 to mark the end of the millennium. They were issued as two-stamp souvenir sheets bound in a limited edition hard-cover book which sold at a premium over the value of the stamps. This caused some controversy and although the stamps were valid for postage, the various stamp catalogs refused to list them. Canada Post rectified this situation by re-issuing the stamps in the form of 17 four-stamp souvenir sheets at face value.
Stamp Issuing Country: Canada
Date of Issue: 15-Sept-2017
Denomination: 46 cents
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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