400 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 195 3 



because they can hardly be proclaimed as indubitably medieval Scan- 

 dinavian objects. One can — and I for my part will do so — describe 

 the material as "sympathetic" toward the idea that white men roamed 

 in the places in question in pre-Columbian days, but it embodies no real 

 proof capable, once and for all, of silencing all carping and scepticism. 

 To each of the 12 points (not to mention the other 13) there is attached 

 a certain measure of doubt. 



CONCLUDING REMARKS 



Looking over the foregoing pages, we must admit that our results 

 are rather negative. First, the literary sources: All attempts at loca- 

 tion of Leif's Vinland and Karlsefni's lands from the sagas have 

 shown themselves unsuccessful. Second, as to the monuments and 

 objects, let us sum up as follows : 



The Beardmore -find. — Owing to doubts as to the reliability of the 

 report of the find, this must for the present remain as an uncertain, so 

 far useless, document. 



Newport Tower. — In all probability a post-Columbian building. 



Kensington inscription. — The philological opposition to its authen- 

 ticity too strong. Useless. 



Other inscriptions. — So far useless. 



Sites and mooring stones. — So far useless. The Minnesota mooring 

 holes, however, seem to indicate the presence of pre-Columbian Nordic 

 people. 



Ohjects. — Some have had to be labeled as probably genuine Euro- 

 pean and medieval. But in our context such scattered objects form too 

 slender a basis. No full evidence has been adduced that they were not 

 brought to America in recent time; and even if such evidence were 

 procurable in a few cases, one or two isolated relics of this kind do 

 not weigh very much in the balance. 



Now, what is required as adequately weighty evidence of the life and 

 existence of Norsemen in North America in pre-Columbian times? 

 The answer must be: above all a knowledge of their dwellings (or 

 graves) on that continent. The moment we can find settlements with 

 house ruins which in layout and construction and by the artifacts 

 found in them can without a shadow of doubt be documented as being 

 of Scandinavian origin, dating from the Late Viking age or the Middle 

 Ages — or the moment we can find corresponding graves — the goal will 

 have been reached. Then why not look for Norse sites of this kind ? 

 It has been done, the answer may be. Possibly ; but not systematically 

 and never by expert archeologists. I therefore propose that a search 

 should be made. 



