Gásir in Eyjafjörđur: International Exchange and Local Economy in Medieval Iceland

• Published in: Journal of the North Atlantic
• Main Authors: Harrison, Ramona, Roberts, Howell M, Adderley, W Paul
• Other Authors: City University of New York, Institute of Archaeology, Iceland, Biological and Environmental Sciences, orcid:0000-0001-5552-1696
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Eagle Hill Foundation 2008
• Subjects: Iceland; Medieval; Archaeology; Geoarchaeology; Sediment analysis; Zooarchaeology; Gasir Site (Iceland); Iceland Commerce History To 1262; Iceland History To 1262; Eyjafjörður; Major Point; walrus*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/763; https://doi.org/10.3721/1935-1933-1.1.99; http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/763/1/99-119%20Harrison%20J081109.pdf

The site of Gásir in Eyjafjörður in northeast Iceland was excavated from 2001–2006, revealing details of one of the larger seasonal trading centers of medieval Iceland. Interdisciplinary investigations of the site have shed light upon the organization of the site and provided confirmation of documentary accounts of both prestige items (gyrfalcons, walrus ivory) and bulk goods (sulphur) concentrated for export. Gásir was a major point of cultural contact as well as economic exchange between Icelanders and the world of medieval Europe, and the zooarchaeological analyses indicated a mix of foodways and the presence of exotic animals and a well-developed provisioning system, which supplied high-quality meat and fresh fish to the traders. The excavations demonstrated an unexpected regional-level economic impact of the seasonally occupied site on the surrounding rural countryside, and contribute to ongoing investigations of the extent and impact of overseas trade in medieval Iceland.