Menu
A new article is examining the theory that Greenland's medieval Norse settlements were ruined by the collapse of the trade in walrus tusks, after ivory from elephants became more easily accessible for artisans in Europe.
In 1998, Danish archaeologist Else wrote an article which suggested that in the beginning of the fourteenth century, a surplus of reasonably priced elephant ivory from Africa caused ivory from walrus tusks to lose its market share, which were so catastrophic that it eventually led to the collapse of the entire Norse Greenland colony.![Else Roesdahl Walrus Ivory Demand, Supply, Workshops, And Greenland Else Roesdahl Walrus Ivory Demand, Supply, Workshops, And Greenland](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125774769/725634249.png)
Ivory has been a prized commodity in Europe and Asia since antiquity, with ports along the north African coast controlling much of the trade. When Norse settlers arrived in Greenland during in the 10th century, they soon found that walrus ivory could be a profitable trade.
Roesdahl believes that this trade went through Norway and would have been a cheaper alternative to elephant ivory. Several carved tusks have been found among the treasures of European rulers, particularly Scandinavian kings.
But this trade floundered by the fourteenth century, according to Roesdahl, as trade between Africa and Europe grew, allowing for more elephant ivory to be exported to the continent. Seaver disputes the notion that this would have undermined the Greenland walrus trade.
She writes, 'Prior to 1500, it is highly unlikely that there was a drop in the price of elephant ivory capable of displacing walrus tusks in the market, even in periods when more African ivory appears to have been reaching European workshops. It is far more likely that, during periods of increased supply in response to European demand, the price of African ivory would have risen in step with the available quantities, because the transportation costs arising from Africa’s immense distances.'
Seaver adds in her own theory about the fall of the Norse colony, linking it to the increased activities of English fishermen in the North Atlantic. During the 15th century, the English were particularly interested in catching fish for food, in particularly cod, and were sailing out further outwards to find stocks. Seaver believes that the Norse in Greenland may have been attracted to this trade, and shifted their settlements to be closer to better fishing grounds.
Seaver believes that large numbers of Greenlanders may have even tried to develop settlements in Labrador, with English support, which proved to be disastrous, as the climate in that portion of northern Canada was much more hostile than even in Greenland.
'If the Norse Greenlanders migrated west to a stretch of Labrador chosen by others,' Seaver writes, 'as it appears likely that they did, they may have ended up on the bottom of the Davis Strait before even reaching the other shore, or they may have perished during their first winter in the new land from new diseases, from starvation, or simply from the bitter cold.'
Seaver's article, 'Desirable teeth: the medieval trade in Arctic and African ivory, appears in the Journal of Global History, Volume 4 (2009). See also:
Interview with Nancy Marie Brown about her book The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman
What did the Viking Discoverers of America Know of the North Atlantic Environment?
![Roesdahl Roesdahl](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125774769/201288571.png)
The Greenland Norse, however, used it extensively in their own households. Of the exotic items, the most important was walrus tusk. According to Else Roesdahl, elephant ivory was in short supply in Europe in the high Middle Ages, and in that period demand was met by walrus ivory. Used for carving all sorts of prestige items, walrus ivory was. Although over- shadowed by the ivory output of Greenland in the Norse Period. The use of walrus ivory in Iceland's past cannot be overlooked: Future research. Else Roesdahl has suggested dense concentration of animal bones, that the. (2005) 'Walrus ivory – University Press. Demand, supply, workshops, and 62.
In her article, 'Desirable teeth: the medieval trade in Arctic and African ivory,' Kirsten Seaver criticizes that idea, and puts forward her own theory about why the Norse settlers mysteriously vanished from Greenland sometime during the 15th century.In 1998, Danish archaeologist Else wrote an article which suggested that in the beginning of the fourteenth century, a surplus of reasonably priced elephant ivory from Africa caused ivory from walrus tusks to lose its market share, which were so catastrophic that it eventually led to the collapse of the entire Norse Greenland colony.
![Else Roesdahl Walrus Ivory Demand, Supply, Workshops, And Greenland Else Roesdahl Walrus Ivory Demand, Supply, Workshops, And Greenland](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125774769/725634249.png)
Ivory has been a prized commodity in Europe and Asia since antiquity, with ports along the north African coast controlling much of the trade. When Norse settlers arrived in Greenland during in the 10th century, they soon found that walrus ivory could be a profitable trade.
Roesdahl believes that this trade went through Norway and would have been a cheaper alternative to elephant ivory. Several carved tusks have been found among the treasures of European rulers, particularly Scandinavian kings.
She writes, 'Prior to 1500, it is highly unlikely that there was a drop in the price of elephant ivory capable of displacing walrus tusks in the market, even in periods when more African ivory appears to have been reaching European workshops. It is far more likely that, during periods of increased supply in response to European demand, the price of African ivory would have risen in step with the available quantities, because the transportation costs arising from Africa’s immense distances.'
Seaver adds in her own theory about the fall of the Norse colony, linking it to the increased activities of English fishermen in the North Atlantic. During the 15th century, the English were particularly interested in catching fish for food, in particularly cod, and were sailing out further outwards to find stocks. Seaver believes that the Norse in Greenland may have been attracted to this trade, and shifted their settlements to be closer to better fishing grounds.
Seaver believes that large numbers of Greenlanders may have even tried to develop settlements in Labrador, with English support, which proved to be disastrous, as the climate in that portion of northern Canada was much more hostile than even in Greenland.
'If the Norse Greenlanders migrated west to a stretch of Labrador chosen by others,' Seaver writes, 'as it appears likely that they did, they may have ended up on the bottom of the Davis Strait before even reaching the other shore, or they may have perished during their first winter in the new land from new diseases, from starvation, or simply from the bitter cold.'
Seaver's article, 'Desirable teeth: the medieval trade in Arctic and African ivory, appears in the Journal of Global History, Volume 4 (2009). See also:
Interview with Nancy Marie Brown about her book The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman
What did the Viking Discoverers of America Know of the North Atlantic Environment?
![Roesdahl Roesdahl](/uploads/1/2/5/7/125774769/201288571.png)
Yes, there is a population of about 7500 polar bears inGreenland.
Do polar bears live in the polar region of Greenland?
Yes polar bears live in Greenland. A polar bear is on the seal of Greenland. Read More
Where do Eskimos and Polar Bears live?
Eskimos live in Nunavut, Canada and Greenland and polar bears live in the north pole. Read More
Does Canada have polar bears?
Yes, there are many polar bears in the northern reaches of Canada. Yes, polar bears live in Canada. They also live in USA (Alaska), Russia, Greenland, and Norway. There are no polar bears in Antarctica. Read More
Where does Ursus maritimus live?
Polar bears live in the Arctic in northern Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Europe. Read More
What type of polar bears live in Canada?
The same kind of polar bears' you'd find elsewhere in the world, like in Russia or Greenland or Alaska. Read More
Are there polar bears in Antarctica?
Polar bears do not live in the Southern Hemisphere, and thus do not live in Antarctica. Polar bears live around the Arctic Circle and the 'polar bear nations' they can be found in are the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Denmark, and Norway. No Read More
What percentage of polar bears live in The Arctic Alska Greenland Russia etc?
Do polar bears and wolves fight?
No! They don't even live together or near! Polar bears live in the Arctic while wolves live in Alaska, Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Canada, and small parts of United States. Read More
In what kind of terrain does a polar bear live?
In the Arctic Circle. Places such as Greenland have a bigger population of polar bears than somewhere like Scandinavia. Read More
In what part of the world does a polar bear live?
In the circumpolar north in areas where they can hunt seals at openings in the sea ice called leads. There are five nations with polar bears: U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway. Polar bears do not live in Antarctica. Penguins do. Read More
Are there polar bears in Illinois?
No, polar bears live only in one state in the US: Alaska. They are all in the Arctic region in the northern most of the Northern Hemisphere in Alaska (US), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway. Read More
What area is known as the frozen tundra?
russia Canada Greenland Alaska they are all frozen tundra basically were polar bears live. Read More
Do polar bears live in water?
What will happen to the polar bear if ice caps melt?
Polar bears live on the sea-ice at the North Pole and on the ice caps in Greenland. There are no polar bears on the Antarctic ice cap. The sea ice is melting and polar bears that survive are being forced onto land where they have to compete with other species of bears for food. They may end up merging with the land bears. Read More
Where can you find a polar bear?
Polar bears live in the Arctic, that is, the North Pole. The Northern Polar region. Northern Alaska, Yukon, Inuvut, Greenland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia and Siberia. Read More
In which region are polar bears naturally found?
There are five nations with polar bears: U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland (Denmark), and Norway. Read More
Do polar bears live in Antactica?
No, polar bears live only in the Arctic. Read More
In what area do polar bears live?
In what setting do polar bears live?
Does a shark eat polar bears?
There is a shark which lives in polar waters, the Greenland shark. It is primarily a scavenger but has been known to eat marine mammals including polar bears. Read More
Where are most polar bears found?
Polar bears live in the Arctic region only. Mostly at the edges of the polar ice pack around the perimeter of the Arctic Circle. Although they are named polar bears, they don't live permanently very close to the North Pole, but more around the circumference of the Arctic. The countries where they are found are Canada, US (Alaska), Greenland, Russia and Norway (including the Svalbard Islands). Read More
Do polar bears live at the North Pole?
Polar bears do not live exactly at the North Pole, but polar bears live in the Arctic region near the North Pole. Read More
Can polar bears be found in Italy?
Polar Bears are not naturally found in Italy. They are found in parts of the United States, Russia, Canada, Greenland, and Norway. Read More
Are polar bears Antarctic animals?
No, polar bears are native to the Arctic areas surrounding the North Pole, such as Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. Read More
What is the nearest land to Greenland?
Iceland is the nearest land to Greenland - Polar Bears swim there when Ice has been Melting. Read More
Why do polar Bears live in the Polar Zone?
polar bears live in the north pole because the north pole is cold and polar bears can trap warmth in their skin Read More
Why do polar bears live in Oceania?
They don't. Polar bears live in the North Pole. Read More
Do polar bears live in an ocean?
How many Polar bears in deserts?
Polar bears do not live in the desert. They live in the Arctic. Read More
Why are polar bears able to live in Antarctica?
What types of polar bears live in antarctica?
Polar bears live in the Arctic, not in the Antarctic. Read More
Do polar bears live in the summer?
Polar bears still live in the same habitat. Read More
Do polar bears live in the Appalachian Mountains?
Not known, but other bears live there which may include polar bears Read More
Do polar bears live individually?
Yes, polar bears are solitary animals except for mothers with cubs. Read More
Do polar bears live in Antarctica or in the Arctic?
Polar bears live in the arctic and penguins live in the antarctic. Read More
Do polar bears live at the North and South Poles?
Polar bears only live in the Arctic. There is no food chain in Antarctica to support polar bears. Read More
Will black bears eat polar bears?
Happily for black bears, they do not live where polar bears do. They would be no match for a polar bear. Read More
How many penguins every day do polar bears eat?
Zero. Polar Bears and penguins live at opposite ends of the world. Polar Bears Arctic, Penguins Antarctic. Polar Bears eat seals. This is a common misconception that polar bears and penguins live together, but they live on opposite poles. Read More
Do polar bears live alone?
Generally, polar bears do live alone, but you can find female polar bears with one to two of their young. The males travel alone. Generally, polar bears do live alone, but you can find female polar bears with one to two of their young. The males travel alone. Read More
How many polar bears live in the wild?
There are approximately 25,000 polar bears left in the wild. Read More
In what region do polar bears live?
polar bears live in the arctic (north pole) Read More
Do polar bears prey on penguins?
No. Polar Bears live in the arctic and penguins live in Antarctica Read More
For how long do polar bears live?
Polar bears live for an average of 15 to 18 years. Read More
Do polar bears have live babies or lay eggs?
Do both grizzly and polar bears live in the Arctic?
No. Only polar bears live in the Arctic. Read More
What is urban life in Greenland like?
Greenland is very cold . And sometimes you will see Polar bears. Read More
Do polar bears live in jungles?
No. Polar bears live in the far north where there is lots of snow and ice but no jungle growth. That is why they are called polar bears - they live near the north pole. Read More
Where can you find a polar bear in Asia?
There are 5 places with polar bears. They are Alaska, Russia, Norway, Greenland , and Canada. Read More
Polar bears habitats?
Do polar bears live in the Arctic or Antarctic?
Polar bears live in the Arctic. There is no food chain to support animals in Antarctica. Polar bears live in the arctic and penguins live in the antarctic Read More