The Year 1000: When Globalization Really Began

Some people believe that the years immediately prior to AD 1000 were lacking in major geopolitical encounters, that the Europeans hadn’t yet reached North America, and that the farthest feat of sea travel was the Vikings’ invasion of Britain. But then, how do you explain the presence of blonde-haired people in Maya temple murals? Could the Vikings have reached the Americas during the height of the Maya empire?