THE VINLANDMAP

ince it was made public in 1965, the Vinland map has been mired in controversy. It was claimed to be a 15th century map that shows the east coast of North America, drawn before Columbus discovered the continent and informed by Norse exploration; but despite high-profile endorsements, there have always been doubts as to whether it was genuine. Besides showing the American coast, the map shows Africa, Asia and Europe, as well as Greenland, and possibly Japan. The map first came to light in 1957, bound with a mediæval text called (usually translated as Tartar Relations) when it was offered to the British Museum by two book dealers, Irving