Unveiling the Extensive Trade Networks of Vikings through Walrus Ivory

The Vikings were notably resourceful and well-traveled, with a global trade network that extended well beyond Europe, spanning at least three continents. Recent studies from the University of Copenhagen reveal that they played a key role in the ivory trade, especially with their trips of more than 6,000 kilometers to the Arctic for walrus hunting, Science Daily reported. DNA analyses indicate that walrus ivory originating in Greenland was transported to Europe and reached locations as far-flung as the Middle East and possibly East Asia. During the Medieval period, as the Crusades interfered with the elephant ivory trade, walrus ivory emerged as a desirable commodity due to its origins in harsh, icy regions.

The studies explain how the Vikings accessed various distant walrus populations, such as the Pikialasorsuaq zone in Northwest Greenland, characterized by challenging climatic conditions. Their voyages were not merely adventurous; the primary aim was the acquisition of ivory, which was traded across many parts of the world. Research highlights that Vikings, leveraging their remarkable navigational skills, interacted extensively with local indigenous groups like the Thule and Dorset cultures, revealing a previously underestimated degree of interaction and trade.

Using fragments from walrus skulls dug up at Viking and settlement sites in Europe, Greenland, and Canada, researchers combined archaeological, genetic, and biological expertise. Constructing a genetic map showcasing the origins of different Arctic walrus populations offered insight into these interactions. The findings extended previous assumptions about the Vikings’ trading reach and suggest substantial overlapping with early Greenlandic and Canadian cultures.

The studies underscore the Vikings’ capacity to overcome environmental challenges to establish expansive trade routes. Morten Tange Olsen, a marine mammal biologist and geneticist involved in the studies, emphasized this in noting the sizable breadth of the Viking network, which aligned with other cultures of the time. As such, the research iteratively highlights the Vikings’ ability to sustain a complex, far-reaching trade operation in arduous climates, an achievement illustrated by the clear genetic map generated for Arctic walrus sourcing, marking the extent of Norse excursions for procuring this highly valued ivory.

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