— Ch. 1 · Erik The Red Estate Origins —
Brattahlíð.
~3 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
The steep slope of Brattahlíð rises from the head of Tunulliarfik Fjord in south-western Greenland. Erik the Red established his estate here toward the end of the 10th century. This location offered shelter from ocean storms while remaining close to the sea for travel and trade. The name itself translates directly to "the steep slope". Erik and his descendants lived at this site until about the mid-15th century. Today, the modern settlement of Qassiarsuk sits upon the exact grounds of that ancient estate. The distance from the open ocean provided a unique microclimate for early Norse life.
Archaeological Church Discoveries
A human skull surfaced during community construction work on a school in 1961. That single discovery triggered an archaeological excavation that revealed three separate Norse church buildings. The oldest structure is known as Thjodhild's church and likely stands as the first church built in the Americas. Archaeologists found a u-shaped building constructed with wooden walls and an insulating shell of turf on the exterior. The west end lacked this turf insulation which resulted in a distinct u-shaped mound shape. Foundation stones surrounded the building at a distance suggesting a small turf wall existed outside. Graves appeared in the area between the main building and the surrounding wall. This early churchyard contained the remains of 144 buried individuals without any grave goods or identifying runes.Norse Farming Infrastructure
One farm building nearby measured approximately 20 meters by 8 meters with stone walls about 1 meter thick. A turf outer bank provided further insulation against the harsh climate. Inside, workers laid down flagstone floors to create durable walking surfaces. Flat stones formed the stalls where livestock rested. In one specific case, the shoulder-blade of a whale served as part of the stall construction. Some of these buildings still stood in 1953 when the Bluie West One airfield operated at Narsarsuaq. Today they exist mostly as depressions in the ground visible only to trained eyes. Brattahlíð retains some of the best farmland in Greenland due to its position at the inner end of Eriksfjord. This location protects it from cold foggy weather and arctic waters found on the outer coast.