Recent Developments

Play-by-play of recent developments | Reevaluation of ink (2002) | Parchment radiocarbon dating (2002) | Jesuit hoaxer? | Other

Play-by-play of recent developments

"New fight over old map: Debate over oldest map of America flares again" by John Whitfield for Nature August 1, 2002. This is an excellent basic overview.

"Is the Vinland Map a Fake? Two Conflicting Scientific Papers Reopen Ongoing Debate" from NPR's "Morning Edition with Bob Edwards" (August 5, 2002)

Reevaluation of ink (2002)

"Vinland, une vraie-fausse carte?" by Cécile Dumas for Le Journal Perm@anent, July 30, 2002. Touches on latest Analytical Chemistry article.

For Purchase: "Analysis of Pigmentary Materials on the Vinland Map and Tartar Relation by Raman Microprobe Spectroscopy" by Katherine L. Brown and Robin J. H. Clark, Analytical Chemistry 74, 2002.

"The Vinland Map shows its true colors; scientists say it's a confirmed forgery." by Jason Gorss, a press release from the American Chemical Society.

"Fresh doubt over America map" from BBC News. Covers Analytical Chemistry article.

"Raman probe sheds light on old map: Tell-tale spectroscopy of pigments showing 'America' in a Viking map backs up claims that it is a 20th-century forgery." by Michael Hatcher, for Optics.org (July 31, 2002). Hatcher is interested in the optic devices used.

Parchment radiocarbon dating (2002)

"Vinland Map Parchment is 15th Century Radiocarbon Tests Show" press release from the University of Arizona, written by Lori Stiles (July 29, 2002)

"Scientists Determine Age of New World Map: 'Vinland Map' parchment predates Columbus's arrival in North America," press release from Brookhaven National Laboratory. Includes a wonderful 2.5 MB image and a video, wherein chemist Garman Harbottle explains the dating process.

"Scientists Determine Age of First New World Map: 'Vinland Map' Parchment Predates Columbus' Arrival in North America" Smithsonian Press Release. Also here.

Jesuit hoaxer?

"Was 'Old' Map Faked to Tweak the Nazis?" by Emily Eakin for the New York Times 9/14/02. Eakin lays out Seaver's proposal nicely. Requires registration to view, and the article will switch to "pay-only" mode soon.

French: "Un jésuite allemand serait l'auteur de la fausse carte du Vinland" extract from the Le Monde article.

"Un jésuite allemand serait l'auteur de la fausse carte du Vinland" by Christiane Galus, Le Monde, August 13, 2002.

Other

PDF: Review of reissue of The Vinland Map and Tartar Relation by Lars Lonnroth, alvvssmal, 7 (1997).

"Thus there is not very much which is new in this edition, and hardly anything in it is likely to convince serious scholars that the map is authentic. The book is evidently written for true believers, not for people who want to discuss pro and con."

Largest image (though still unsatisfactory) from "New fight over old map: Debate over oldest map of America flares again" by John Whitfield for Nature August 1, 2002. This is an excellent basic overview.