The Vinland Map Your Conclusion WebExhibits
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Introduction  ·  Background  ·  Explore the evidence  ·  Your conclusion

Evidence  ·  Archeologic  ·  Cartographic  ·  Dating  ·  Pigments  ·  Suspects  ·  Text

What's your opinion?
This evidence suggests the map is:
Real
Not sure
Fake
Undecided
How conclusive is this evidence?
Very certain
Somewhat sure
It proves nothing
Undecided
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 Who might have forged the map?

There is no convincing reason why any individual might forge the Vinland Map. The knowledge, skill and materials needed would limit possible forgers to a handful of experts, who would necessarily be well known.

Wilcomb Washburn of the Smithsonian Institution has suggested arrogance, wry humor, or jeu d'esprit as possible motives. He suggests further that forgery could result from the deep antagonism that can develop between academic scholars and museum curators.

Two possible names have been suggested: a Dominican friar (Luka Jelic, 1863-1922) and a German Jesuit priest (Josef Fischer, 1858-1944). Kirsten Seaver, citing circumstantial evidence and complex reasoning, proposes that Fischer did it, out of a wish to thwart Hitler.

 

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