Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2004, Síða 53

Some Notes on Earthworks and Dykes in Iceland and in the North Atlantic
(Ronncscth 2001). This locking of the
farming landscape is of course related to
the físcal valuation of all settlement units
that fínds its expression in the so-called
'boltall'; the normative land rent numbers
divided into 'bol' units of different name,
that the Landslov reckons with.
The present author has recently sug-
gested that the phenomena ascribed by
Ronneseth and others to the birth-period
of the historical farm (viz. the 13th cen-
tury), should in fact be separated into two
distinct phases. The first of these phases
is to be understood as a restructuring of
the settlement structure and the introduc-
tion of a new farming system around the
year 600 or somewhat later, involving at
the same time a contraction of the exist-
ing settlements and an enlargement of the
infíeld-outfíeld-system. The second
phase involves the gradual splitting up of
the large infield complexes (see below)
that were one result of the restructuring
in the Late Iron Age, resulting in the birth
of independent, i.e. historical, farms, as
described by Ronneseth (Stylegar 2001,
2002).
Orkney and Shetland
Most of Orkney's households were to be
found in multiple-occupancy townships.
However, there was a large number of
Fig 1: The Spangereid farm complex, Vest-Agder, South Norway. Gare (two tax farms), Presthus,
Midbo, and Stokke are lying within a common hill dyke. In the Middle Ages, the abandonded farm
og Hátuna was located in the area south of Presthus (F. A. Stylegar).
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