L'Anse aux Meadows, Archaeological site in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

L'Anse aux Meadows is an archaeological site at the northern tip of Newfoundland, where the remains of eight sod-over-wood-frame buildings lie on a grassy terrace above a small inlet. Low turf-covered mounds and rectangular depressions mark the outlines of the structures, and a gravel path curves through the site.

Excavations beginning in 1960 confirmed that Norse settlers from Greenland established an outpost here around the year 1000. The colony lasted only a few years before being abandoned, likely due to conflicts with indigenous groups.

The name is a French-English hybrid meaning "Grassland Bay", though it may derive from L'Anse aux Méduses (Jellyfish Cove) or L'Anse à la Médée, marked on an 1862 French naval chart. Two sod houses have been rebuilt on site, and a visitor centre introduces the Norse story.

The site opens from June through September and offers guided tours along with demonstrations that show daily life among the Norse settlers. The grounds sit on a windswept coastal strip, so warm clothing is recommended even in summer.

The 2021 Nature study dated felled trees to 1021 CE by matching a 993 CE solar storm signature in their rings, then counting 28 growth rings to the bark. Excavators also found butternuts, which do not grow north of New Brunswick, hinting at journeys further south.