Narsarsuaq — whose name translates to "Great Plain" — is a small settlement of approximately 123 inhabitants clinging to the southern coast of Greenland in the Kujalleq municipality. The settlement's economy is almost entirely reliant on Narsarsuaq Airport, originally built as a U.S. military base known as Bluie West One during World War II to support Allied planes crossing the Atlantic. Visitors today can explore an airfield museum, encounter remarkable wildlife diversity, and take guided tours to nearby glaciers, with gemstone hunting also among the local attractions. Gates described the town with characteristic wit upon arrival, noting that his presence had "skyrocketed" the local population to 131. He chose Narsarsuaq as his base of operations to investigate one of the most enduring mysteries in North Atlantic history: what became of the Norse settlers who thrived in Greenland for roughly four centuries before seemingly vanishing in the 1400s.
Erik the Red establishes Norse settlements in southern Greenland, near the region where Narsarsuaq sits today
Norse settlements in Greenland disappear under circumstances still debated by historians and archaeologists
U.S. military establishes Bluie West One airbase at Narsarsuaq to support Allied transatlantic air operations during World War II
Gates uses Narsarsuaq as his base of operations in Expedition Unknown S04E02 "Vikings in America," investigating the fate of the vanished Norse population
The fate of Greenland's Norse settlers remains one of the more genuinely puzzling questions in medieval history. Gates traveled to southern Greenland to consult with archaeologist Christian Koch Madsen, whose excavation work in the region Gates described as potentially groundbreaking. Madsen is one of a number of scholars actively working to understand why communities that had survived in Greenland for roughly four centuries appear to have abandoned or died out by the mid-1400s.
Mainstream archaeology generally points to a combination of factors rather than a single cause: a cooling climate during the onset of the Little Ice Age, shifting trade networks that may have made Norse Greenland economically unviable, possible resource depletion, and the documented pressure from expanding Inuit populations moving southward. The Eastern and Western Settlements — the two main Norse communities established near the area Gates investigated — left behind extensive archaeological remains, but no written record of a final departure.
As Gates noted on camera, the people living in southern Greenland today are mainly Inuit, not descendants of the Norse. This demographic reality is itself one of the clues historians wrestle with: the Norse and Inuit appear to have coexisted in the region for some time, yet the Norse communities did not persist. Whether the Norse assimilated, emigrated back to Europe, perished, or some combination of these outcomes remains genuinely contested among researchers.
Gates' episode contributed a vivid ground-level perspective on the physical challenge of even reaching these remote sites today — navigating fog-choked fjords while dodging icebergs — underscoring why Greenland's Norse settlements have been difficult to study and why so many questions remain unanswered. The episode frames the investigation as ongoing, with Madsen's excavation representing one of the more promising lines of current inquiry.
Narsarsuaq's name translates literally to "Great Plain" in Greenlandic.
The settlement's population is approximately 123 people, and its economy is almost entirely dependent on its airport.
The airport was originally built as a U.S. military installation called Bluie West One during World War II to support Allied transatlantic flights.
Roughly 80 percent of Greenland's interior is covered by a permanent ice sheet — the 50,000 residents of the entire island live on the coastal 20 percent.
Narsarsuaq is generally accessible by air via Narsarsuaq Airport, which serves as the primary gateway to southern Greenland and connects to Copenhagen and Reykjavik. Visitors can explore the airfield museum, take boat tours through the surrounding fjords, and arrange guided glacier excursions, though there are virtually no roads connecting Narsarsuaq to other towns — travel between settlements is primarily by boat or small aircraft. Check current local advisories regarding weather and transportation availability before visiting.
Narsarsuaq is in southern Greenland; the nearest regional hub with more substantial services is Nuuk (Godthåb), Greenland's capital, located approximately 400 kilometers to the north by air.
Summer months — roughly June through August — offer the most accessible conditions, with milder temperatures and longer daylight hours that make boat travel and outdoor exploration more practical. Outside of summer, weather conditions can be severe and services limited.
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is the ancestral homeland of the Norse settlers whose presence in Greenland Gates investigates, and Gates' broader S04E02 episode traces Viking exploration routes from Scandinavia toward North America.
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain has been linked to pre-Columbian contact theories in North America, connecting thematically to the broader question of early Norse or European presence in the western Atlantic.
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island represents another famous historical disappearance — the Lost Colony — making it a natural companion mystery to the vanished Norse settlements of Greenland that Gates investigates.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia