Norse sailors, often referred to as Vikings, explore and settle areas of the North Atlantic, including the northeast fringes of North America, beginning in the 10th century.

While this settlement process does not have the lasting effects that later settlements and conquests are to have, it can be seen as a prelude to wide-scale European settlement in the Americas.The Viking activities are often erroneously described as the Viking colonization of North America, but there are few findings to support the idea that the Vikings colonized North America, except for Greenland which they occupy for almost 500 years.

Outside Greenland, though, the Viking settlements only grow to a small size and never fully develop into permanent colonies, partly because of hostile relations with Native Americans, whom the Norse refer to as Skrælings.

In turn, the Viking exploit the natural resources such as furs and lumber.

Lumber, in particular, is in short supply in Norse Greenland, due to deforestation.

Adam of Bremen is the first historian in the Old World that refers to the Americas (Vinland).

The Icelandic sagas are still the most important written sources about the early Norse activities in America.Purported runestones have been found in North America (e.g.

the Kensington Runestone, Newport Tower and Heavener Runestone) that are thought by some to be artifacts from further Viking exploration.

However, these runestones are generally considered to be forgeries.

There is a map depicting North America, the Vinland map, that some believe is related to Norse exploration, though it is almost certainly a hoax.