[Sca-cooks] Re: Rhachitis

[Mark S. Harris]

Lainie replied to me with:
>>'Lainie commented:
>>> It also (OFC) would seem to indicate some
>>> problems with basic nutritive value in the diets of the Europeans who went
>>> to Greenland and/or an exaggerated level of genetically related health
>>> problems.
>>
>>I guess both are possible. The genetic pool on Iceland is not large
>>and I'm not sure how much intermixing there was with other groups
>>once Iceland was settled. I imagine any geneticists here can give
>>you some numbers if the minimum size needed to avoid problems.
>
> You may be right about diet, but I must point out here that we are not
> talking about Iceland- we are talking about Greenland- a much smaller
> population base, and even with influx of new immigrants, still not enough
> to keep the settlements viable. How many generations before they called it
> quits- two? three? Maybe four?


Oops. Sorry, my appologies. I guess I was still thinking about Iceland
from the other thread. Yes, the smaller population on Greenland would
have increased the problems compared to Iceland as well as problems
with the land suitable for agriculture being much less.

I'm surprised with that short of a settlement such remains as this
dress were there to be found. But then the Norse settlement on
North America was also short lived and even smaller.


> The genetic pool on Iceland was influenced by mainland Scandanavia (at
> least if we are to trust the sagas, and I do) and some by northern
> Scotland.

Do you mean after the initial settlement? Nanna, how much interaction
was there between Iceland and Scandanavia? Or was this something that
perhaps dropped off with time as the climate worsened or political
changes occurred?

I guess someday I'm going to have to find the time to read these
sagas.

> But Greenland is another story entirely, given the length and
> difficulty of the journey.

Was it really that difficult using Iceland as a waypoint or the
starting point? At least compared to sailing from Scandanavia to
Iceland? I think it was likely more of question of there being a
reason to make such a voyage. Interesting parallels as well look
to making voyages to the planets or the stars.

--
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris            Austin, Texas          stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****