Vikings settled in North America almost 500 years before Christopher Columbus, new research shows

The Viking's settled in North America exactly 1000-years-ago, preceding Christopher Columbus by centuries.

According to a study published in Nature, scientists have been able to pinpoint an exact date.

The team believe a new dating technique, which analyzes tree rings, provided evidence that the settlement was present at a site in Newfoundland, Canada, in A.D. 1021.

Scientists analysed three pieces of wood from a Norse settlement found at L'Anse aux Meadows.

The team used an atmospheric radiocarbon signal produced by a known solar storm, which took place in the year A.D. 992, to determine a more accurate date.

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