The Norse In Madeira And Azores Before The Portuguese?

According to relatively recent historical and archaeological/DNA research, it seems that the Norse might have reached the shores of the Madeira and Azores archipelagos (which are both part of Portugal) well before the firmly established Portuguese colonisers! According to several mouse bones found in Madeira which were dated to either the 10th or 11th centuries (namely during the end of the Viking Age), the renowned early medieval Scandinavian explorers known as Vikings had reached the shores of this archipelago well before the subsequent firmly established Portuguese settlers. In so doing, they brought the mice to these islands as well.

The Norse raided Iberia initially and, from there on, it is safe to assume that they also sailed southward across the North Atlantic Ocean to spot and land on the Madeira and Azores archipelago, nowadays both part of Portugal. Once there, the Norse brought animals and started practising slash and burn agriculture on the wooden areas nearby. This type of agriculture consists of burning down trees in a forest along with any remaining/surviving vegetation so that the resulting ash can become a natural fertiliser. In the wake of this agricultural practice, the eventual terrain would become pasture (also known as swidden).

This relatively new discovery on the history of these volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic puts the Norse first before the Portuguese navigators who are credited with settling these territories in the 15th century, more specifically during Prince Henry the Navigator’s reign. In the Azores, it is very likely that, according to archaeological research, the Norse started settling these islands even earlier than the Madeira, more specifically way back in the 8th century.

Below you can watch and informative video by History with Hilbert on YouTube on whether the Norse (Vikings) reached the Azores 700 years before the Portuguese colonists:

Additionally, below you can watch another informative historical analysis-based video by Shield of Skuld on YouTube on whether the Norse (Vikings) reached and settled the Azores before the Portuguese:

Documentation sources and external links:

• History of Madeira on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
• swidden on www.en.wiktionary.com
• The Vikings, Madeira and the Azores: Did the Norse discover the two Atlantic archipelagos? on www.thevikingherald.com
• Did Vikings and their stowaway mice beat Portugal to the Azores? on www.theguardian.com
• Vikings in paradise: Were the Norse the first to settle the Azores? on www.science.org
• Norse Explorers Reached Azores 700 Years Before Portuguese on www.ancient-origins.com
• Man landing on Madeira could be four centuries prior to its colonization by the Portuguese on www.phys.org
• Viking mice: Norse discovered Azores 700 years before Portuguese on www.cals.cornell.edu (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)
• Madère – Les Vikings seraient arrivés sur l’archipel avant les Portugais on www.idavoll.fr (in French)