Features: DVD
There are few more tantalizing or notorious historical documents than the Vinland map. A faded, yellowing scrap of parchment bearing a faint tracery of lines, the map apparently shows the eastern seaboard of North America-yet it was drawn at least half a century before Columbus reached the New World. It seems to present unshakeable proof that the Vikings were the real discoverers of the Americas. But for 40 years, a bitter debate over its authenticity has raged among cartographers, historians, and scientists. Despite chemical analysis and radiocarbon tests, the case remained unresolved. Now, in an exclusive investigation, NOVA presents fresh evidence confirming that the map was probably one of the cleverest forgeries of all time, and probes who might have wanted to carry out the deception. In this enthralling cartographic detective story, NOVA pursues a trail from Scandinavia to Austria, Switzerland, London, and the U.S.
Editor's Note
For many years, the Vinland map has been the subject of controversy and heated debate. Whether it is an authentic 15th century map recording Viking discovery of North America centuries prior to Columbus's voyage, or simply a brilliant fake, the map is nevertheless a hugely important document. In this NOVA documentary, experts from the fields of cartography, historical study, and science present a new case for why the map was probably forged. Traveling throughout Scandinavia, Austria, Switzerland, London, and America, NOVA delves into the motives and people behind what may have been the most impressively falsified document in history.
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