I am working on a research paper detailing the violence, friendship and trade that occurred over hundreds of years between Muslims and Vikings. It is seriously one of the most fascinating relationships I have ever began to learn about and it seems that it's only getting better.

Recently Patricia Sutherland, a brilliant archeologist, dated a Viking and european trade post in Canada all the way back to at least 1200 AD. Now the Vikings had a good trade network set up with the Muslims but this would prove that an Atlantic, European, North African trade network from Indonesia all the way to Canada came about 500 years earlier than previously expected.

So, my question is, where can I find more information on this. More information on the relationship of Vikings and Muslims, and more on their prospective trade routes as well.

And of course if any of you have anything else, please feel free to share. All of this is pretty amazing.

Oh and sidenote, totally didn't know that Antonio Banderes from the 13th warrior actually was based off a real character, and that Viking hygiene was....catastrophic? Would that be a good word? It wasn't a very clean time.