A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám)
Icelandic settlement (Landnám) period farmsteads offer opportunities to explore the nature and timing of anthropogenic activities and environmental impacts of the first Holocene farming communities. We employ Bayesian statistical modelling of archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datase...
Published in: | The Holocene |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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SAGE Publications
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/810 https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683617714597 |
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ftopinvisindi:oai:opinvisindi.is:20.500.11815/810 2023-05-15T16:47:42+02:00 A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám) Schmid, Magdalena Maria E Zori, Davide Erlendsson, Egill Batt, Cathy Damiata, Brian N Byock, Jesse Sagnfræði- og heimspekideild (HÍ) Faculty of History and Philosophy (UI) Líf- og umhverfisvísindadeild (HÍ) Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences (UI) Hugvísindasvið (HÍ) School of Humanities (UI) Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ) School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI) Háskóli Íslands University of Iceland 2017-06-22 19-33 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/810 https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683617714597 en eng SAGE Publications The Holocene;28(1) M Schmid, M. M., Zori, D., Erlendsson, E., Batt, C., Damiata, B. N., & Byock, J. (2018). A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám). The Holocene, 28(1), 19-33. doi:10.1177/0959683617714597 0959-6836 1477-0911 (eISSN) https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/810 The Holocene doi:10.1177/0959683617714597 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Bayesian outlier models Harris matrix Icelandic sagas Isand colonisation Holocene Paleoecology Radiocarbon dating Tephrochronology Viking Age Fornleifarannsóknir Landnám Íslendingasögur Víkingaöld Aldursgreiningar info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2017 ftopinvisindi https://doi.org/20.500.11815/810 https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683617714597 2022-11-18T06:51:38Z Icelandic settlement (Landnám) period farmsteads offer opportunities to explore the nature and timing of anthropogenic activities and environmental impacts of the first Holocene farming communities. We employ Bayesian statistical modelling of archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets to present a framework for improving chronological robustness of archaeological events. Specifically, we discuss events relevant to the farm Hrísbrú, an initial and complex settlement site in southwest Iceland. We demonstrate that tephra layers are key in constraining reliable chronologies, especially when combined with related datasets and treated in a Bayesian framework. The work presented here confirms earlier interpretations of the chronology of the site while providing increased confidence in the robustness of the chronology. Most importantly, integrated modelling of AMS radiocarbon dates on Hordeum vulgare grains, palynological data, documented evidence from textual records and typologically diagnostic artefacts yield increased dating reliability. The analysis has also shown that AMS radiocarbon dates on bone collagen need further scrutiny. Specifically for the Hrísbrú farm, first anthropogenic footprint palynomorph taxa are estimated to around AD 830–881 (at 95.4% confidence level), most likely before the tephra fall out of AD 877 ± 1 (the Landnám tephra layer), demonstrating the use of arable fields before the first known structures were built at Hrísbrú (AD 874–951) and prior to the conventionally accepted date of the settlement of Iceland. Finally, we highlight the importance of considering multidisciplinary factors for other archaeological and paleoecological studies of early farming communities of previously uninhabited island areas. M.M.E.S. acknowledges support from the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) through grant 121153-0061 and from the Watanabe Trust fund. C.B. thanks the British Academy for the support of a Mid-Career Fellowship (MD120020). D.Z. and J.B. thank the Leverhulme Trust, ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Opin vísindi (Iceland) The Holocene 28 1 19 33 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Opin vísindi (Iceland) |
op_collection_id |
ftopinvisindi |
language |
English |
topic |
Bayesian outlier models Harris matrix Icelandic sagas Isand colonisation Holocene Paleoecology Radiocarbon dating Tephrochronology Viking Age Fornleifarannsóknir Landnám Íslendingasögur Víkingaöld Aldursgreiningar |
spellingShingle |
Bayesian outlier models Harris matrix Icelandic sagas Isand colonisation Holocene Paleoecology Radiocarbon dating Tephrochronology Viking Age Fornleifarannsóknir Landnám Íslendingasögur Víkingaöld Aldursgreiningar Schmid, Magdalena Maria E Zori, Davide Erlendsson, Egill Batt, Cathy Damiata, Brian N Byock, Jesse A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám) |
topic_facet |
Bayesian outlier models Harris matrix Icelandic sagas Isand colonisation Holocene Paleoecology Radiocarbon dating Tephrochronology Viking Age Fornleifarannsóknir Landnám Íslendingasögur Víkingaöld Aldursgreiningar |
description |
Icelandic settlement (Landnám) period farmsteads offer opportunities to explore the nature and timing of anthropogenic activities and environmental impacts of the first Holocene farming communities. We employ Bayesian statistical modelling of archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets to present a framework for improving chronological robustness of archaeological events. Specifically, we discuss events relevant to the farm Hrísbrú, an initial and complex settlement site in southwest Iceland. We demonstrate that tephra layers are key in constraining reliable chronologies, especially when combined with related datasets and treated in a Bayesian framework. The work presented here confirms earlier interpretations of the chronology of the site while providing increased confidence in the robustness of the chronology. Most importantly, integrated modelling of AMS radiocarbon dates on Hordeum vulgare grains, palynological data, documented evidence from textual records and typologically diagnostic artefacts yield increased dating reliability. The analysis has also shown that AMS radiocarbon dates on bone collagen need further scrutiny. Specifically for the Hrísbrú farm, first anthropogenic footprint palynomorph taxa are estimated to around AD 830–881 (at 95.4% confidence level), most likely before the tephra fall out of AD 877 ± 1 (the Landnám tephra layer), demonstrating the use of arable fields before the first known structures were built at Hrísbrú (AD 874–951) and prior to the conventionally accepted date of the settlement of Iceland. Finally, we highlight the importance of considering multidisciplinary factors for other archaeological and paleoecological studies of early farming communities of previously uninhabited island areas. M.M.E.S. acknowledges support from the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) through grant 121153-0061 and from the Watanabe Trust fund. C.B. thanks the British Academy for the support of a Mid-Career Fellowship (MD120020). D.Z. and J.B. thank the Leverhulme Trust, ... |
author2 |
Sagnfræði- og heimspekideild (HÍ) Faculty of History and Philosophy (UI) Líf- og umhverfisvísindadeild (HÍ) Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences (UI) Hugvísindasvið (HÍ) School of Humanities (UI) Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ) School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI) Háskóli Íslands University of Iceland |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schmid, Magdalena Maria E Zori, Davide Erlendsson, Egill Batt, Cathy Damiata, Brian N Byock, Jesse |
author_facet |
Schmid, Magdalena Maria E Zori, Davide Erlendsson, Egill Batt, Cathy Damiata, Brian N Byock, Jesse |
author_sort |
Schmid, Magdalena Maria E |
title |
A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám) |
title_short |
A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám) |
title_full |
A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám) |
title_fullStr |
A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám) |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám) |
title_sort |
bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of iceland (landnám) |
publisher |
SAGE Publications |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/810 https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683617714597 |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_relation |
The Holocene;28(1) M Schmid, M. M., Zori, D., Erlendsson, E., Batt, C., Damiata, B. N., & Byock, J. (2018). A Bayesian approach to linking archaeological, paleoenvironmental and documentary datasets relating to the settlement of Iceland (Landnám). The Holocene, 28(1), 19-33. doi:10.1177/0959683617714597 0959-6836 1477-0911 (eISSN) https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/810 The Holocene doi:10.1177/0959683617714597 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/20.500.11815/810 https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683617714597 |
container_title |
The Holocene |
container_volume |
28 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
19 |
op_container_end_page |
33 |
_version_ |
1766037788148367360 |