The Vikings were Germanic seafarers, who despite their fierce reputation of engaging in acts of plundering and piracy, were also successful merchants, traders, and colonists. They used their skills in seamanship to open and maintain extensive trading routes in Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe. At a time when the compass and sextant were unknown, they had mastered the skill of celestial navigation with uncanny precision. In their quest for new trading markets and to satisfy the need for establishing new settlements, the Vikings migrated as far as Iceland, Greenland, and North America. The Viking Age began in the late 8th century and endured until the mid 11th century. Their ability to build advanced ships and boats; longships, karves, and faerings, provided the Vikings with the opportunity to overwhelm their rivals with military might and commercial entrepreneurship.
