Perched on a hilltop in one of the most remote corners of southern Greenland, this imposing statue of Leif Erikson commemorates the Norse explorer credited with leading the Vikings' westward push toward a land the sagas called Vinland around 1000 AD. The site is believed by some historians to mark the very departure point from which Erikson sailed southwest into uncharted waters — and if you trace that bearing on a map, the only landmass in that direction is North America. As Gates noted on camera, the statue feels almost surreally grand for such a windswept, isolated location, but its placement here is deliberate: this stretch of southern Greenland was the staging ground for the Norse world's most audacious ocean crossing. The exact location of Vinland itself remains one of history's genuinely open debates, making this hilltop monument as much a question mark as a celebration. Gates visited the site during his investigation into whether Vikings reached North America centuries before Columbus, using it as a launching point — both literally and narratively — for tracing that westward voyage.
Erik the Red establishes Norse settlements in Greenland, laying the foundation for further westward exploration
Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, is believed to have sailed southwest from Greenland to a land he called Vinland, according to the Norse sagas
A confirmed Viking settlement, L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada, is discovered and later validated by radiocarbon dating — though debate continues over whether it is Vinland itself
Gates investigates the site in Expedition Unknown Season 4, Episode 2, "Vikings in America"
The Norse sagas — particularly the Greenlanders' Saga and the Saga of Erik the Red — describe Leif Erikson's voyage to a fertile, vine-bearing land he called Vinland, believed to have taken place around the year 1000 AD. These texts have been taken seriously by mainstream historians for well over a century, though the sagas are understood to be literary documents as much as historical records, and their geographical details are often frustratingly vague. The southern Greenland coast, from which Erikson almost certainly departed, has long been associated with the Norse settlements established by his father Erik the Red.
The discovery of L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada in the 1960s provided the first and so far only archaeologically confirmed Viking settlement in North America. Radiocarbon dating of artifacts at the site pointed to occupation around 1000 AD, aligning closely with the sagas' timeline. However, scholars debate whether L'Anse aux Meadows is Vinland itself or merely a base camp from which Norse explorers ventured further south — the sagas' references to wild grapes, mild winters, and abundant resources don't quite match Newfoundland's climate, fueling speculation that Vinland may lie somewhere farther down the eastern seaboard.
The so-called Vinland Map, mentioned in Gates' episode, has been one of the more contested artifacts in this debate — a map purportedly predating Columbus that shows a landmass labeled Vinland far to the west of Greenland. Its authenticity has been disputed by experts for decades, and the mainstream scholarly consensus leans heavily toward treating it with significant skepticism, if not outright dismissal. Gates presents it on camera as 'a controversial map,' which is the appropriate framing.
Gates' episode does not claim to resolve where Vinland was — instead, it honestly frames the question and follows the evidence westward, letting experts and archaeological sites speak for themselves. The Leif Erikson statue in Greenland functions in the episode as a powerful starting point: a monument to an explorer whose achievement is real but whose full story remains, as Gates put it, a mystery that 'may rewrite the pages of history.'
Leif Erikson is credited in the Norse sagas with reaching North America roughly 500 years before Columbus's 1492 voyage — a claim now supported by the confirmed Viking site at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland.
The name 'Vinland' is generally interpreted by historians as referring to either vines or grass, and that ambiguity has fueled centuries of debate about exactly where in North America the Norse landed.
Leif Erikson Day is an official U.S. federal observance, celebrated on October 9th — a recognition of Norse exploration that predates Columbus Day.
According to the sagas, Leif Erikson may have heard of lands to the west from other Norse sailors before making his own voyage — suggesting the discovery may have been more deliberate than accidental.
The statue sits in a remote area of southern Greenland, and access to this region generally requires either a domestic flight within Greenland or arrival by boat, as road infrastructure in the area is limited. Visitors should check current local travel advisories and logistics carefully, as Greenland's remote southern settlements are not heavily touristed and services may be minimal.
Qaqortoq is the largest town in southern Greenland and the nearest significant settlement, located in the general region of the statue.
Summer months — roughly June through August — offer the most accessible weather and the longest daylight hours in southern Greenland, making travel and outdoor exploration considerably more practical. Conditions outside this window can be harsh and logistically challenging.
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is the Norse homeland and cultural origin point for the Viking explorers whose westward expansion Gates traces in the same episode arc.
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain has been associated with pre-Columbian contact theories and mysterious historical claims, connecting thematically to Gates' investigations into early arrivals in North America.
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island represents another of America's great early settlement mysteries — the vanished English colony — making it a natural companion to the Vinland debate about who first came to North America and what happened to them.