Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1976, Page 34

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
The farm ruin Hofgarður, south of íshólsvatn (Figs. 8 and 10—11). 380 m.
Mueh older than H 3104.
Charcoal (birch) in a melting place for bog iron, named Smiðja (Smithy)
(Fig. 13), in the Krók(s)dalur valley, 30 km south of Mýri, now the innermost
farm in Bárðardalur. 430 m. C14-age (U 2517): A. D. 955 or 980 (according to
whether one calculates with 5730 or 5568 years as half life of C14) ± 60 years.
Heap of charcoal (birch) at a farm ruin named Hrauntunga (Figs. 15—16)
on the inland plateau south of Sellandafjall. 460 m. C14-age (ST. 4396) : A. D.
955 ± 100 years (5568 ± 30 years).
Charcoal from the floor of a smithy on an old abandoned farm site (Figs.
8 and 17—20), possibly the farm named Holt in one Icelandic Saga (Reykdæla-
saga). 310 m. C14-age (St. 5292) ; A. D. 855 ± 100 (5568 ± 30).
Farm ruin at Timburvellir in Timburvalladalur, 300 m. (Figs. 8 and 20—21).
Charcoal (birch) on a floor. C14-age (St. 5293) : A. D. 1040 ± 100 (5568 ± 30).
Ruin at a legendary place named Hraunþúfuklaustur in Vesturdalur, 20 km
N of Hofsjökull. 410 m (Figs. 8 and 22-—26). Charcoal on a floor. C14-age
St. 4572) : A. D. 900 ± 100 (5568 ± 30). The ruin was abandoned about 1104,
possibly or even probably because of the tephra fall from the first Hekla erup-
tion in historical times, about 1304.
Even if we take into consideration the fact that for some reason not discussed
here C14 datings from Iceland have a general tendency to give too high ages,
the datings in the border areas towards the interior point to the farming
having started there before A. D., in some plaees already during the Settle-
ment Time 870—930. They indicate that in North and Northeast Tceland the
frontier of the settlement towards the interior reached during this period a
somewhat more advanced position than it has reached at any time since then.
This again points to a relatively rapid increase in population, an assumption
which is supported by the fact that soil destruction started to increase soon
after the beginning of settlement. One reason why this maximum advance posi-
tion was reached so early was the large land claims of the early settlers. An-
other reason may have been that some settlers found the breeding of their graz-
ing livestock, especially sheep and goats, more easy in the frontier areas to-
wards the interior than in the densely birch wooded lowland parts of the valleys.
Most of the border settlements seem not to have lasted long. The withdrawal
of the settlement frontier probably had begun in the llth century, in some
places possibly even before the end of the lOth. It is certain that the with-
drawal began so early that climatic deterioration cannot have played any
decisive role. In spite of some bad years (óöld) in the late lOth and early llth
century the climate did not begin to deteriorate seriously until the late 12th
century. The main reason for the withdrawal was that the frontier areas proved
so vulnerable to the destructive influences of man and his grazing livestock.
These preliminary investigations of old farm ruins have also demonstrated how
convenient and time-saving the tephrochronological method, supplemented with
C14-datings, is for a reconnoitring study of this type in areas where suitable
tephra layers are found. The writer proposes a systematic reconnoitring study
of the age of all old farm ruins in such districts.