The Vinland Map: How a Mysterious Forgery Fooled Experts for Decades

Image caption: The Vinland Map courted controversy from the moment its discovery was announced. Image credit: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University // Public Domain (map); wilatlak villette / Moment / Getty Images (background). Article by Tim Brinkhof. Mental Floss – February 26, 2024.

After years of debate, a map once believed to be the first-ever depiction of North America was finally revealed to be a fraud—but mystery still abounds.

In 1965, Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice Michael A. Musmanno traveled to Yale University to look at a map that, until recently, had been kept a closely guarded secret. The document, dubbed the Vinland Map, was said to date back to 1440. […]

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