Who were the seagoing Norse raiders who disrupted coastal Europe from the 8th to 11th centuries and reached Iceland, Greenland, and North America?

• A. Anglo-Saxons
• B. Vikings
• C. Phoenicians
• D. Mongols

Answer: (B)

This question tests your understanding of who the seafaring raiders were and how their maritime technology enabled far-reaching exploration. The people described are the Vikings—Norse explorers from Scandinavia who built fast, shallow-draft longships that could raid coastlines and sail rivers, making rapid, long-distance travel possible. Their prowess at sea allowed them to establish settlements far from home, first in Iceland, then Greenland, and even a Norse outpost in North America around Vinland (L’Anse aux Meadows) around the year 1000. The other groups listed don’t fit the profile: Anglo-Saxons were English communities on the British Isles, Phoenicians were ancient Mediterranean traders from places like Carthage, and Mongols were a later, expansive empire based in Central Asia. Vikings captures the idea of widely traveled, boat-focused Norse groups who disrupted European coasts and reached those far northwestern regions.