Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2010, Qupperneq 79

VÉRONIQUE FORBES, ALLISON BAIN, GUÐRÚN ALDA
GÍSLADÓTTIR AND KAREN B. MILEK
RECONSTRUCTING ASPECTS OF THE
DAILY LIFE IN LATE 19TH AND EARLY
20TH-CENTURY ICELAND:
ARCHAEOENTOMOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE
VATNSFÖRÐUR FARM, NW ICELAND
To better understand the daily lives and living conditions of late 19(l1 and early
^Oth-century Icelandic farmers, archaeoentomological analyses were undertaken
using sediment samples collected at the site of Vatnsijörður, in the WestQords,
Used in a contextual and multidisciplinary analytical framework, the analysis of
preserved insect remains from multiple archaeological contexts allowed the
identification of domestic activities, including animal products and hay storage,
house renovations, floor maintenance, and trade. The hygienic conditions within
the buildings and of their occupants were also interpreted along with some
elements of the local landscape. This study demonstrates the potential of
archaeoentomology to contribute to a better understanding of daily life in Early
Modem Iceland.
Véronique Forbes, Department of Archaeology, School of Geosciences,
University of Aberdeen, StMary’s, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF, UK.
Email: r01vf9@abdn.ac.uk
Allison Bain, CELA T, Université Laval, Charles-De Koninck Building, Quebec,
Canada, G1V0A6.
Email: A llison.Bain@hst. ulaval
Guðrún Alda Gísladóttir, Fornleifastofnun Islands, Bánigata 3, 101 Reykjavik,
Iceland.
Email: gudrun@instarch.is.
Karen Milek, Department of Archaeology, School of Geosciences, University of
Aberdeen, St Mary’s Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF, UK. Email:
k.milek@abdn.ac.uk.
Keywords: Archaeoentomology, Westfjords, 19th-20th century Iceland, Living
Conditions
Introduction
The last two decades have seen an emer-
gence of interest in post-medieval archae-
ology in Iceland, demonstrated by the
increasing number of excavations and
research projects (e.g. Edvardsson et al.
2004; Gísladóttir & Ævarsson 2007;
Guðmundsson et al. 2005, Hambrecht
ARCHAEOLOGIA ISLANDICA 8 (2010) 77-110