Archaeologists have uncovered a medieval church in southern Greenland that offers new insights into Viking-era society on the island, the National Museum of Denmark announced. The structure, thought to date back to the 13th century, was located near Qinngua, close to Narsarsuaq, and was part of a Viking settlement established during the period when Norse settlers founded colonies in Greenland.

The church’s discovery is significant because it sheds light on how the Viking community organized itself more than 800 years ago. Archaeologist Christian EK Madsen, who led the excavation, explained that after the Vikings converted from paganism to Christianity, churches became central to their social and economic life. “When you build a church, you are making a claim for religious power, which is also part of your economic power,” Madsen said. Access to church revenues was an important factor in this dynamic.

The Viking colonization of Greenland began in the 10th century, several centuries after the island had already been inhabited by Inuit populations for at least 3,000 years. The newly discovered church likely predates Denmark’s 18th-century colonization by nearly 300 years. Adjacent to the church, which measures approximately eight to ten meters in length and three to four meters in width, researchers found at least one grave.

Surrounded by three farms, the church eluded archaeologists until a critical finding in the final hours of excavation last year revealed its presence. Madsen described the site as a “proto village,” suggesting the farms likely shared fields and resources. The settlers depended not only on agriculture but also on marine hunting to sustain themselves in the region’s harsh environment.

“This is a very marginal area for farming,” Madsen noted, highlighting that the Vikings in Greenland hunted marine animals such as walruses, narwhals, and polar bears. The valuable materials obtained—such as walrus ivory and polar bear pelts—were traded back to European markets and reached as far as the Middle East and central Eurasia. The farms functioned as a base for this marine hunting economy.

The discovery opens new avenues for studying the development and eventual decline of the Greenlandic Viking settlements. According to written records, which Madsen regards as reliable, the church was part of a network of smaller Catholic churches and represents one of the earliest Catholic presences in North America.

“This find is telling us how people brought Christianity to Greenland and tried to sustain a community in one of the most challenging environments they could find,” Madsen said. The research promises to deepen understanding of how these medieval communities lived, adapted, and ultimately vanished by the 15th century under circumstances that remain uncertain.