Anne Stine Ingstad

Anne Stine Ingstad was a Norwegian archaeologist born Anne Kirstine Moe on February 11, 1918, in Lillehammer, Norway. She married explorer Helge Ingstad in 1941 and became his scientific collaborator in archaeological endeavors. Together, they made one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada. From 1961 to 1968, Anne Stine led the formal archaeological excavations at L'Anse aux Meadows alongside her husband, uncovering evidence of an 11th-century Norse settlement. Their work revealed sod houses, a forge, cooking pits, and boathouses, providing indisputable evidence of European contact with North America 492 years before Columbus. The discovery was initially met with skepticism but achieved universal institutional acceptance and led to the site being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beyond L'Anse aux Meadows, Ingstad had extensive archaeological experience, having worked on similar sites in Iceland and Greenland. She later became a specialist in ancient textiles, conducting research at Norwegian sites like Kaupang and Oseberg. In 1977, she became a state research fellow and co-authored 'Osebergdronningens grav' in 1992 about the Oseberg Queen's grave. Anne Stine Ingstad died on November 6, 1997, at age 79, leaving behind a legacy that fundamentally changed our understanding of Viking exploration and pre-Columbian contact with the Americas.