The moment of discovery

Wayne MacIsacc had long believed there were Vikings in Codroy Valley, and now there is evidence to suggest he may be right.

​

Many stories have been told about a boat of mysterious origin found in the Codroy Valley, which MacIsaac theorized was a Viking ship. The tale told of a number of skeletons found in the area amidst the remnants of an old wooden boat. The boat looked far different from the traditional dories built by area fishermen. Vikings were known to bury their dead in boats.

 

The amateur archeologist believes the Vikings inhabited the St. Andrews area just down the road from the more famous Point Rosee site that was the subject of a 2016 PBS documentary. It was the Norse sagas that made him think Vikings might have also settled in the sleepy town of St. Andrews. The description of the area contained in the sagas, an ancient text that documents the exploits of Viking explorers, allowed him to connect the dots.

 

“That’s when I found out that, OK ... mountains ... river ... salmon river? Goes to a sandbar? Then I was like, wait a minute … and that’s when I started thinking about that boat.”

​

Realizing he had potentially found a significant discovery, MacIsaac eventually found the remains of what he believes is a Viking-built 30-metre mound in a forested area in St. Andrews. It wasn’t until years later he came to the conclusion that the mound could be a Viking fortification.

MacIsaac contacted the provincial archeology department after his discovery.  The department sent an official to investigate, but they were dismissive claiming the mound was natural. 

​

Since then there has been increased interest in the potential of the nearby Point Rosee site, spawning a major documentary by the BBC. In 2015, archeologists did a small dig and found what they believed to be a hearth and bog iron. A second official, one that was older and more experienced, was then sent to Codroy Valley to examine the discovery. While he wasn't convinced, he also wasn't dimissive either.

​

While the existence of Vikings in the Codroy haven’t been confirmed and MacIsaac is cautious, he is nonetheless enthusiastic about what may follow.

 

“I didn’t sleep for days,” he said about finding out about the most recent dig. “I was extremely excited, I was jumping around and other times I was mind boggled. I have calmed down since then.”