Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2005, Page 53

Ragnar Edvardsson
COMMERCIAL AND SUBSISTANCE FISHING IN VESTFIRÐIR
A STUDY IN THE ROLE OF FISHING IN THE ICELANDIC
MEDIEVAL ECONOMY
It has generally been accepted that historically Iceland as an economic unit based
its income on agriculture and that no important differences could be distinguished
between regions. For the past decade archaeological research into fishing in
Vestfírðir has generated data that contradicts this idea and suggests that Vestfirðir
based its economy primarily on marine resources and agriculture was secondary.
Furthermore, it suggests that fish products played a much more important role in
the Icelandic economy and society from the beginning of the settlement until the
late 16th century. A complex picture is emerging of trade and exchange both with-
in and outside Iceland.
Ragnar Edvardsson, The
Fishing and farm economy
In the 20th century físhing became the
dominant economic activity in Iceland
and today it provides up to 70% of the
national income. The change from an
agricultural society to a society that
based its income primarily on fishing
was the result of technological changes
within the físhing industry in the late
19th century. Iceland has few natural
resources that can be exported on a large
scale. During the early Middle Ages
Iceland exported wool and other agricul-
tural products but in the late Middle Ages
the demand for fish in Europe (i.e. cured
físh) increased and físh became one of
the major export items in the period from
AD 1250-1500. Technological advances
in the 13th and 14th centuries brought
about the development of ships that
could transport fish on a larger scale than
had previously been possible.
Graduate School and University Center, CUNY, 365
Park Avenue, New York, NY10016. re@hi.is
Keywords: Vestfirðir; Fishing; Economy.
Scholars have, for a long time,
considered the historical importance of
físhing in Iceland as minor, and this view
has remained unchanged for decades.
The belief is that agriculture was the
major focus of the economy from the set-
tlement period (AD 900) until the mid-
13th century and fishing was only a
means for extra income for the farms.
From the 13th century until the early
16th century, the export of físh gradually
increased because foreign merchants
began sailing to Iceland looking to buy
físh products. This increase triggered
people to move to the shoreline and take
part in this growing industry. At this peri-
od there seems to have been a lot of poor
and landless people that saw this as an
opportunity to gain income. However,
there seems not to have been enough sur-
plus population to engage in this new
venture as this shift caused a concomi-
Archaeologia Islandica 4 (2005) 51-67