Coping with Hard Times in NW Iceland: Zooarchaeology, History, and Landscape Archaeology at Finnbogastaðir in the 18th Century
During a cooperative archaeological project in NW Iceland (Strandasýsla) involving the Icelandic National Museum and Hunter College of the City University of New York.1990 season, a small rescue excavation at the site of Finnbogastaðir generated a quantifiable collection of animal bones dating to th...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
2004
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/global/18 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/global/article/1017/viewcontent/Norsec12Finnbogastadir.pdf |
id |
ftunivnebraskali:oai:digitalcommons.unl.edu:global-1017 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivnebraskali:oai:digitalcommons.unl.edu:global-1017 2023-11-12T04:19:04+01:00 Coping with Hard Times in NW Iceland: Zooarchaeology, History, and Landscape Archaeology at Finnbogastaðir in the 18th Century Edvarsson, Ragnar Perdikaris, Sophia McGovern, Thomas H. Zagor, Noah 2004-01-01T08:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/global/18 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/global/article/1017/viewcontent/Norsec12Finnbogastadir.pdf unknown DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/global/18 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/global/article/1017/viewcontent/Norsec12Finnbogastadir.pdf Global Studies Papers & Publications North Atlantic Iceland Early Modern Zooarchaeology Jarðabók Landscape archaeology Animal Studies Anthropology Biological and Physical Anthropology Geography International and Area Studies text 2004 ftunivnebraskali 2023-10-30T09:59:03Z During a cooperative archaeological project in NW Iceland (Strandasýsla) involving the Icelandic National Museum and Hunter College of the City University of New York.1990 season, a small rescue excavation at the site of Finnbogastaðir generated a quantifiable collection of animal bones dating to the early modern period, mainly to the 18th century. The 18th c was a period of hardship in much of Iceland, with widespread tenantry, adverse climate, and degradation of many terrestrial landscapes posing severe challenges to poor farmers- perhaps most intensely in the Vestfirðir. The animal bone collection from Finnbogastaðir reflects a multi-stranded subsistence economy involving seals, birds, and fish as well as domestic stock. Reconstruction of the fishing pattern indicates a mixed strategy that probably produced some stockfish for local exchange or for export but was mainly aimed at household provisioning. The nearly contemporary Jarðabók land register provides a direct comparison to the documentary record, and ongoing site survey and excavation in the NW provides a broader landscape/seascape perspective on the archaeofauna and documents. This small rescue investigation thus serves to illustrate the potential for an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to Iceland’s past, including periods with extensive documentary resources. Text Iceland North Atlantic Strandasýsla University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL Vestfirðir ENVELOPE(-22.500,-22.500,65.667,65.667) Strandasýsla ENVELOPE(-22.000,-22.000,65.750,65.750) Finnbogastaðir ENVELOPE(-21.474,-21.474,66.016,66.016) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnebraskali |
language |
unknown |
topic |
North Atlantic Iceland Early Modern Zooarchaeology Jarðabók Landscape archaeology Animal Studies Anthropology Biological and Physical Anthropology Geography International and Area Studies |
spellingShingle |
North Atlantic Iceland Early Modern Zooarchaeology Jarðabók Landscape archaeology Animal Studies Anthropology Biological and Physical Anthropology Geography International and Area Studies Edvarsson, Ragnar Perdikaris, Sophia McGovern, Thomas H. Zagor, Noah Coping with Hard Times in NW Iceland: Zooarchaeology, History, and Landscape Archaeology at Finnbogastaðir in the 18th Century |
topic_facet |
North Atlantic Iceland Early Modern Zooarchaeology Jarðabók Landscape archaeology Animal Studies Anthropology Biological and Physical Anthropology Geography International and Area Studies |
description |
During a cooperative archaeological project in NW Iceland (Strandasýsla) involving the Icelandic National Museum and Hunter College of the City University of New York.1990 season, a small rescue excavation at the site of Finnbogastaðir generated a quantifiable collection of animal bones dating to the early modern period, mainly to the 18th century. The 18th c was a period of hardship in much of Iceland, with widespread tenantry, adverse climate, and degradation of many terrestrial landscapes posing severe challenges to poor farmers- perhaps most intensely in the Vestfirðir. The animal bone collection from Finnbogastaðir reflects a multi-stranded subsistence economy involving seals, birds, and fish as well as domestic stock. Reconstruction of the fishing pattern indicates a mixed strategy that probably produced some stockfish for local exchange or for export but was mainly aimed at household provisioning. The nearly contemporary Jarðabók land register provides a direct comparison to the documentary record, and ongoing site survey and excavation in the NW provides a broader landscape/seascape perspective on the archaeofauna and documents. This small rescue investigation thus serves to illustrate the potential for an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to Iceland’s past, including periods with extensive documentary resources. |
format |
Text |
author |
Edvarsson, Ragnar Perdikaris, Sophia McGovern, Thomas H. Zagor, Noah |
author_facet |
Edvarsson, Ragnar Perdikaris, Sophia McGovern, Thomas H. Zagor, Noah |
author_sort |
Edvarsson, Ragnar |
title |
Coping with Hard Times in NW Iceland: Zooarchaeology, History, and Landscape Archaeology at Finnbogastaðir in the 18th Century |
title_short |
Coping with Hard Times in NW Iceland: Zooarchaeology, History, and Landscape Archaeology at Finnbogastaðir in the 18th Century |
title_full |
Coping with Hard Times in NW Iceland: Zooarchaeology, History, and Landscape Archaeology at Finnbogastaðir in the 18th Century |
title_fullStr |
Coping with Hard Times in NW Iceland: Zooarchaeology, History, and Landscape Archaeology at Finnbogastaðir in the 18th Century |
title_full_unstemmed |
Coping with Hard Times in NW Iceland: Zooarchaeology, History, and Landscape Archaeology at Finnbogastaðir in the 18th Century |
title_sort |
coping with hard times in nw iceland: zooarchaeology, history, and landscape archaeology at finnbogastaðir in the 18th century |
publisher |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln |
publishDate |
2004 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/global/18 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/global/article/1017/viewcontent/Norsec12Finnbogastadir.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-22.500,-22.500,65.667,65.667) ENVELOPE(-22.000,-22.000,65.750,65.750) ENVELOPE(-21.474,-21.474,66.016,66.016) |
geographic |
Vestfirðir Strandasýsla Finnbogastaðir |
geographic_facet |
Vestfirðir Strandasýsla Finnbogastaðir |
genre |
Iceland North Atlantic Strandasýsla |
genre_facet |
Iceland North Atlantic Strandasýsla |
op_source |
Global Studies Papers & Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/global/18 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/global/article/1017/viewcontent/Norsec12Finnbogastadir.pdf |
_version_ |
1782335596230868992 |