The Norse Settlement Theory
Another popular theory, which seems to have as many followers as the Arnold Theory, is the Norse Settlement Theory. This theory was first presented in 1837 by Carl Christian Rafn. This theory supposes that the tower was built by Viking explorers in the 10th or 11th Century; however, this theory relies on Rafn’s assumption that “Vinland” mentioned in the Norse sagas is present-day New England. The Norse were present in Greenland from the end of the 10th to the early 15th century. Unfortunately, Greenland had no wood, so they were forced to sail to Vinland - the name given to North America by the Norseman Leif Ericcson in the year 1003 - to gather wood each summer, returning in the fall with all of the wood they would need for the following year. If this theory is true, it is likely that Christopher Columbus was not the first person to reach North America; rather it was the Vikings almost 500 years earlier.
One of the major items used to prove the Norse Settlement Theory are the inscriptions found on Dighton Rock. Dighton Rock is a 40-pound boulder that was found in the riverbed of the Taunton River in Berkley, Massachusetts. It displays some very mysterious carvings. Whoever made these carvings did so for a very specific purpose; the carvings were not just random doodles.
Rafn was convinced that these inscriptions were made by Norse explorers or settlers who were telling the story of how they settled the land. His theory, was widely accepted, and for many years most people believed that it was the Vikings who had discovered America. If the Vikings had discovered America, isn’t it entirely possible that they also could have built the Newport Tower as some sort of lookout or viewing post?