Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2011, Page 11

RAGNAR EDVARDSSON AND ARNAR ÞÓR EGILSSON
ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED
SUBMERGED SITES IN VESTFIRÐIR
Icelandic archaeological research has mainly been focused on land based sites and
submerged sites have received little or no attention. The number and condition of
underwater archaeological sites is unknown and no national wreck database
exists. It is likely that the underwater environment will come under increased
threat because of different building projects, especially in the shallow waters close
to modem day settlements. It is important that core underwater archaeological
research is begun, especially surveys to assess the condition and potential of the
submerged heritage in Iceland. This paper describes an underwater survey project
that focused on selected sites around the Vestfirðir peninsula. The aim of the
project was to gain better understanding of the submerged heritage and its
potential for íuture research.
Ragnar Edvardsson, The University of Iceland's Research Centre in the
Westfjords.
Email: red@hi.is
Arnar Þór Egilsson, The National Commissioner for the Icelandic Police.
Ernail: te@centrum.is
Keywords: Underwater, archaeology, survey, heritage, shipwrecks
Introduction
Icelanders have from the beginning of the
settlement in the 9th century always had to
rely on the sea as its main source of
income, both as an important food
resource and a trade link to other countries.
It can be said that without the sea the
settlement of Iceland would not have been
possible. Icelandic archaeologists have in
most cases ignored the submerged heritage
even though it has all the possibilities of
increasing our imderstanding of the past,
especially the trade between Iceland and
Europe.
This study focuses on submerged sites
in the shallow waters around the Vesfírðir
peninsula. This area has always primarily
relied on the sea for income and fishing
has always played a center role in the
society of the region. Fishing is still an
important part of the income for the region
but today various companies are looking
to other industries to increase the income
of the area. It is therefore likely that the
underwater environment in Vestfirðir will
in the future come increasingly under
threat because of mining, various building
projects and industrial research. Fish
farming has also increased in the ijords
around the Vestfirðir peninsula and it is
probable that it will further increase in the
near future. Both Icelandic and foreign
companies have shown research interest
and the mining of Lithothamnion cf.
ARCHAEOLOGIA ISLANDICA 9 (2011) 9-28