Ólafía : rit Fornleifafræðingafélags Íslands. - 01.05.2007, Síða 115

scholarly debate has thus far been
concentrated on this western trade links
through Scandinavia. This has in-
fluenced a proportionally wrong picture
of the trade, and research into the
eastern trade system with Novgorod as
the main trading centre is much needed
to improve our understanding of this
areas influence on the tusk trade and
thereby possibly also the complexity
and interdependence of the trade in
general.
Having mentioned these general
problems, which obviously are crucial
for any meaningful world system
interpretation of the tusk trade some
positive additions, however, were
contributed by this exercise – not least
this recognition of some main
problems. Other new ideas have also
arisen from the cartographic exercise as
it offered the possibility of creating
geographically logical deductions not
influenced by previous knowledge. Of
these, the most interesting ideas are the
suggestions of new hunting ground
possibilities on the east coast of
Greenland, which could have im-
plications for the Icelandic role in the
walrus tusk trade, a possibility that has
thus far been rather neglected. The
other idea is that there must be a
connection between the different
systems and the positioning of main
trading centres such as for example
Hedeby, Dorestadt and Staraja Ladoga
situated in the overlapping areas of
exchange and communication between
Sigrid Cecilie Juel Hansen
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