Denmark

Kujataa

WHS Score 2.76 Votes 6 Average 3.42

Kujataa Greenland: Norse and Inuit Farming at the Edge of the Ice Cap represents farming and marine hunting cultures adapted to life in the Arctic.

The cultural landscape has features such as archaeological sites, agricultural lands and sheep farms. They include elements belonging to the Norse Greenlandic culture, the first emigrants from Europe to settle here and introduce farming, and to the Thule Inuit culture.

Community Perspective: both reviewers so far described a visit to the “beefed up” former Norse settlements Bratthalid and Gardar, located not far from the international airport of Narsarsuaq.

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Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Kujataa Greenland: Norse and Inuit Farming at the Edge of the Ice Cap (ID: 1536)
Country
Denmark
Status
Inscribed 2017 Site history
History of Kujataa
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • v
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Cultural Landscape: Continuing
Travel Information
One thousand visitors or fewer
One thousand visitors or fewer
“A normal season in Qassiarsuk has about 1,000 paying guests. …
Recent Connections
View all (15) .
Connections of Kujataa
Geography
Trivia
Ecology
Architecture
World Heritage Process
Religion and Belief
  • Cathedrals
    During the Norse period, from 1000- 1500 AD, Igaliku was known as Gardar and was the main seat of the church. Christianity was introduced to Greenland at the turn of the last millennium, and Greenland got its first bishop in 1124. The impressive episcopal residence Garðar was established shortly afterwards in Igaliku. A cathedral was built, and was the biggest church in Greenland in the Middle Ages.

    See www.hurtigruten.com

Human Activity
  • Irrigation and drainage
    To be able to feed all these animals it was necessary to ensure stable production from the fields. To maintain this, an extensive irrigation system was constructed, with reservoirs at several levels and canals which spread out across the entire plain. (Unesco)
  • Viking settlements
    Norse settlers arrived in southern Greenland from 1000 AD (AB ev)

    See archive.archaeology.org

WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Built in the 10th century
    From the 10th century AD, Norse colonists from Iceland led by Eiríkr rauði (Erik the Red) settled in this area for a period of approximately 500 years (AB ev)
Visiting conditions
  • One thousand visitors or fewer
    “A normal season in Qassiarsuk has about 1,000 paying guests. The ruin site/reconstructions and Kujataa Information Center in Qassiarsuk had 135 paying guests and Igaliku had 94.” (official website)
WHS Names
News

No news.

Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

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First published: 10/10/24.

Thomas Buechler

Kujataa

Kujataa (Inscribed)

Kujataa by Solivagant

Erik the Red who came all the way from Iceland to the Southwest Greenlandic fjords to find greener pastures, and must have found in here in Bratthlid (Qassiarsuk), so he called the lands Greenland in a good marketing move for other Viking farmers to follow him. In the year 985, it became the first Norse farm here. His son, Leif the Lucky, discovered the North American shores from here in the years to come. Also the "law speaker" resided here in Bratthlid. The archaeological area can be freely visited, and it takes a couple of hours to see the remains of farm houses, storehouses, and a small turf and wood church what is believed to be the remains of Thjodhild's (wife of Erik the Red) original church mentioned in the Icelandic Saga. It was only in 1126 that the Greenlandic Norse were given their own bishop, but he resided in Gardar in the Eastern Settlements. Present day the village is called Igaliku. His church was cross shaped, and even had a bell tower. All bishops were foreigners, and the last bishop who resided at Gardar has died in 1378. It is possible to rent boats between Bratthlid and Igaliku (or a place on the Tunulliarfik Fjord, then on foot). But during our time here, it was impossible due to strong winds and lots of icebergs on the fjord). We were lucky and it was not clear up to the last minute that we could cross from Narsarsuaq (location of airport …

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First published: 26/07/10.

Solivagant

Kujataa

Kujataa (Inscribed)

Kujataa by Solivagant

The Norse settlement of Greenland and the North American mainland remains one of history’s great “what ifs” so it was interesting to visit Bratthalid and Gardar (on the same day) during a trip in southern Greenland in 2010 and discover more about this historical cul de sac.

All 3 T list sites are situated within the Norse “Eastern Settlement” – which, confusingly, was located on Greenland’s SW coast. A “Western Settlement” was further North – and a bit further West! At their greatest extent the population across both was probably only around 4000 and possibly as low as 2000. The first people arrived from Iceland in 980. The Western Settlement had been abandoned by around 1300 and the last recorded occupation of the Eastern Settlement was in 1408 – though it may have struggled on for some years thereafter. Indeed when Denmark (which merged with Norway in 1380) re-invigorated its interest in Greenland in 1721 in the form of the missionary Hans Egede, he actually hoped to find some Norse settlements and was concerned that they would still be Catholic, having “missed out” on the Protestant Reformation!! Although the settlements adopted agriculture and animal husbandry they apparently never achieved (nor sought) any degree of autonomy, cultural or physical, from Iceland/Norway, being part of a trading system whereby walrus/narwhal ivory and sealskins etc were exchanged for European necessities. Throughout these settlement years regular visits were probably being paid to the coasts of mainland N America parts of which were named as …

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First published: 21/07/08.

Anonymous

Kujataa

Kujataa (Inscribed)

Kujataa by Solivagant

I visited Brattahlid and Garder in 1974. It was incredible to discover actual ruins from the time of Erik the Red and at Garder his daughter Freydis still in existance. Amazing to think they have stood the test of time so well and one can still vividly imagine what is was like to settle there over 1,000 years ago. I never will forget the experience. Staying at Blue West One, hiking to the inland glacier, traveling down the fjord by boat, which I recall was named the Good Little Knud after Knud Rasmussen,to Narsaq, everything was marvelous. So marvelous in fact, that I later wrote a novel about all the Erikssons from the point of view of Gudrid Thorbjornsdatter yet to be published. If you like I will send you a copy. Anyway I am glad these places have become listed on the World Heritage List, along with L'anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, another great place I have visited.

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