ABSTRACT
This paper proposes a mechanism for the "extinction" of the Greenland Vikings during the 14th century. The major reason for the demise of this group was their failure to adapt to new and colder winters that began after a long period of reasonable winters. In this paper we propose that the chain of events was initited by an event 93,000,000 miles away, sun spot activity. The primary data used to determine sun spot activity during this time period was from the tree ring growth of an English Oak tree that lived from approximately 800A.D. Until 1996A.D. These data show that a sustain minimum in the sun spot activity was lower than that during the Mauder minimum which brought the "mini ice age" to Europe with the subsequent loss of many lives. The sun spot activity also brought on the "cycle of death" for the Greenland Vikings in 1348A.D.