How the Viking Expansion Was Driven by Climate, Not Just Conquest.
When we think of the Vikings, we imagine fearless warriors, swift longships, and epic battles across Europe. But what if their legendary expansion wasn’t just about conquest, but about survival?
Introduction
The Viking Age (roughly 800-1100 AD) coincided with significant climate shifts in Scandinavia. The Norse weren’t just raiders; they were farmers, sailors, and traders looking for better land, resources, and opportunities—all of which were dictated by their harsh environment.
The Climate Challenge in Scandinavia
Life in Viking-era Scandinavia was notoriously difficult.
- Long, brutal winters meant that farming was a short-lived activity.
- The land was rocky and infertile, forcing communities to rely on livestock and fishing.
- A growing population strained already limited resources.
Vikings needed more arable land to support their families—and they looked across the sea for solutions.
How Climate Pushed the Vikings Beyond Their Homeland
Two climate events played a key role in Viking expansion:
- The Medieval Warm Period (800-1300 AD)
- This brief period of warming reduced sea ice and made long-distance sailing easier.
- Crops grew more successfully, increasing Viking populations—but also increasing the need for land.
- The Great Drought in Europe (9th-10th Century AD)
- As Viking homelands became overpopulated, mainland Europe was also struggling with crop failures.
- Weakened kingdoms in England and France became prime targets for Viking raids.
The Search for New Lands: Expansion Begins
The Vikings set out across the North Atlantic, reaching:
- England (793 AD) – Raiding monasteries for wealth and settling in fertile regions like Northumbria.
- France (845 AD) – Sailing up the Seine River, they reached Paris, forcing a ransom payment.
- Iceland (c. 870 AD) – A wasteland of volcanic rock, but ideal for grazing livestock.
- Greenland (c. 985 AD) – A risky expansion, later abandoned due to cooling temperatures.
- Vinland (North America, c. 1000 AD) – Likely Newfoundland, but abandoned due to conflict with Indigenous peoples.
The Collapse of Viking Settlements Due to Climate
As the Medieval Warm Period ended, colder temperatures returned. Viking settlements suffered:
- Greenland became uninhabitable as winters grew harsher and farming failed.
- Fisheries collapsed, cutting off a key food source.
- Scandinavian societies became more centralized, reducing the need for external conquests.
By 1100 AD, Viking raids dwindled, and the Norse largely settled into Christianized European society.
Lessons for Today
The Viking story is a powerful example of how climate drives migration, conflict, and expansion.
- Climate migration is happening today, as rising sea levels and droughts push populations to relocate.
- Resource competition still fuels conflict, much like in the Viking era.
- Adaptation is key to survival—whether in the 10th century or the 21st.
Shaped by Climate explores these connections in detail—because history teaches us that climate change always has consequences.
📖 Order your copy today to uncover more stories like this!
Our Project Management
Let’s collaborate to build you an amazing website in a timely manner.
The portal have the following tabs:
Home will provide an overview of recent activity relating to the project.
Files will be the main tab to upload content pertaining to the project.
Note will allow you to format and organize your contents.
Chat will allow to communicate in real time during our project.
Task folder contain all the task that we need to complete to launch your website and meet the deadline.
Events will add task due date to the calendar and special meeting during the project
Discussion allow us request approvals, leave comments in documents, assign tasks, set up events and have engaging discussions.
Organize Your Contents
For content sharing, we will be using the files folder where you can jump in and check out the sample site content, and then share your photos, text etc.
Content for web design is the hardest part of this process for the client. It’s one of those perpetual chicken and egg questions in the industry, but really - we have to know what we are working with in order to figure out what the plan really is.
When sending your content make sure it’s labeled to a T. Consider making a favorites folder for images, or even numbering them if you have favorites. This then lets us know your preferences instead of guessing while we are implementing a design for your site.
PHASE 1
DISCOVER
The first step is to gather information, so we ask lots of questions to learn about the product or services you are offering. These questions are mostly business-related and help us understand the requirements and scope of the project. A well-described vision and features speed up the process and help with communication throughout the project.
PHASE 2
PLAN
Once we know the site’s goals, we can define the scope of the project. I.e., what pages and features the site requires to fulfill the goal and the timeline for building those out. With the scope well-defined, we can start digging into the sitemap, defining how the content and features we defined in scope definition will interrelate.
PHASE 3
DESIGN
Once the wireframes are ready, we continue the process by delivering designs. We create one or more prototype designs for your web site and best layout using the best color, typography. We will do revisions until you satisfy with the design and we modify the design until you are happy with the final results...
PHASE 4
DEVELOP
Once the design is approved, we continue with implementing the code and take all of the individual graphic elements from the prototype and use them to create the actual, functional site. As soon as a feature is ready, it is deployed on a testing platform so you can try it out and give us feedback.
PHASE 5
CONTENT
Now that we have a bigger picture of the site in mind, we can start creating content for the individual pages, always keeping search engine optimization (SEO) in mind to help keep pages focused on a single topic. It’s vital that you have real content to work with for our next stage.
PHASE 6
VISUAL
With the site architecture and some content in place, we can start working on the visual brand. Depending on the client, this may already be well-defined, but you might also be defining the visual style from the ground up. Tools like style tiles, moodboards, and element collages can help with this process.
PHASE 7
TESTING
By now, you’ve got all your pages and defined how they display to the site visitor, so it’s time to make sure it all works. Combine manual browsing of the site on a variety of devices with automated site crawlers to identify everything from user experience issues to simple broken links.
PHASE 8
LAUNCH
Once everything’s working beautifully and your feedback has been incorporated and final approval has been given, it’s time to plan and execute your site launch! This includes planning both launch timing and communication
FINAL PHASE
MAINTENANCE
The last and final step of web design is website maintenance. It is very important for the long-term health and success of a website. Websites are living, breathing entities and need constant care and maintenance. We provide cost-effective and front line Web Maintenance Services.