# Archaeologists identify a Norse church near Narsarsuaq in Greenland, the first found in over 60 years

- Published: 2026-11-10 10:23 UTC
- Section: Science › Research
- Tags: Norse church in Greenland, Viking Age archaeology, Narsarsuaq excavation, Brattahlíð, Erik the Red estate, Christian burial, Eastern Settlement, hewn stone church, Norse Greenland
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-d525c2049c8ef308f7ff77fb_archaeologists_identify_a/

**A stone building with a Christian burial was found near Brattahlíð, Erik the Red's estate. Researchers say it is the first Norse church discovered in Greenland in over 60 years.**

![Archaeologists identify a Norse church near Narsarsuaq in Greenland, the first found in over 60 years](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/06686b04fac10e90.jpg)
*science.mail.ru*

Archaeologists have identified the remains of a Norse church near the settlement of Narsarsuaq in southern West Greenland, according to science.mail.ru. Researchers say it is the first Norse church found in Greenland in more than 60 years. [1]

Earlier, archaeologists had found the remains of a large building near Narsarsuaq. They suggested it might be a ruined church surrounded by a cemetery, but no graves were found at the time. The new find, a Christian burial, changes this. [1]

## Stone building and burial

The church differs from previously found Viking Age structures in Greenland: it is built of many hewn stones. According to the researchers, such features usually indicate construction between 1100 and 1300 CE. [1]

The position of the skeleton may give another chronological clue. The person was buried with arms pressed to the body, which may point to an early medieval date. Remains of two or three farms were also found nearby, which suggests the church stood in a small settlement. [1]

## Near Erik the Red's estate

The excavation site is close to Brattahlíð, the estate of Erik the Red. He was one of the best-known Norse seafarers of the Viking Age and founded the first permanent European settlement in Greenland in the late 10th century. [1]

According to medieval tradition, Erik was born in Norway and moved with his family to Iceland, from where he was banished after being involved in several conflicts and killings. In exile he sailed west and explored Greenland, where earlier Norse seafarers had reported land. He spent several years exploring the southwest coast before returning to Iceland and persuading others to settle there. By tradition, he named the land Greenland, believing an attractive name would draw colonists. Around the end of the 10th century a fleet of settlers arrived and founded communities.

Erik built his estate at Brattahlíð, which became an important political centre of the Eastern Settlement. According to the sagas, his wife Thjodhild adopted Christianity and built a church near the settlement. Over time Christianity took firm root in Norse Greenland, and the newly found church is part of this religious landscape. [1]

Several centuries after the 10th century, the Norse settlements in Greenland disappeared. Possible causes include a worsening climate, economic change, fewer links with Europe, and difficulty sustaining farming communities in increasingly harsh weather.

## Sources

1. [science.mail.ru](https://science.mail.ru/news/60199-v-grenlandii-nashli-cerkov-epohi-vikingov)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-d525c2049c8ef308f7ff77fb_archaeologists_identify_a/