Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2011, Page 33

A FIREWOOD EXPERIMENT AT EIRÍKSSTAÐIR: A STEP TOWARDS QUANTIFYING THE USE OF FIREWOOD
FOR DAILY HOUSEHOLD NEEDS IN VIKING AGE ICELAND
coverage at the time of Landnám. It is
obvious that the commencement of
farming activities in an area that was
wooded at the time of colonization will
show up much more distinctly in the
palynological record, than in an area
which was already an open grassland.
Nonetheless, most pollen studies indicate
that birch pollen levels declined
signifícantly after the colonization of
Iceland. But although palynological
results can tell us about the decline of
woodland in a certain area, it is hard to
determine how much of this decline was
related to human activity and how much
was due to natural causes. Even though
there is a general consensus that the
deforestation was primarily caused by
humans, although on the back of a slight
natural decline, there has never been any
estimate proposed to quantify the human
impact on woodlands caused by different
requirements of the Landnám population.
This appears as a necesity if we are to
understand the nature of Landnám
deforestation and the role played by a
settlement society and its economy in the
overall process of deforestation.
It is this question of the anthropogenic
contribution to the decline of the Icelandic
woodlands that could, and indeed should,
be addressed by experimental
archaeology. The amount of wood that
would have been used by the settlers of
Iceland for basic needs such as heating
and cooking can be investigated by
systematic experimentation. By studying
the potential human contribution to
woodland decline in Iceland through
experimental methods, it should be
possible to gain better understanding
about the human-environment interactions
that took place immediately after the
Landnám. The outcome of such
experimental work may confirm or refute
traditional views regarding woodland
decline, and also reveal new sets of
questions about fuel use in the fírst
centuries of the colonization of Iceland.
Sadly, until recently there has been a great
lack of experimental archaeology in
Iceland.
Materials and methods:
The skáli
The full-scale replica at Eiríksstaðir
(figure 1) was used for an experiment to
address the concems outlined above.
Fignre 1. Full-scale replica house in
Eiríksstaðir (photo by D. E. Mooney)
Based on the results of a series of
archaeological excavations of the original
house in 1895, 1938 and finally 1997-99,
the replica was opened for the public in
2000 but had not been used for
experimental work before. Located
approximately 100 metres west of the
original house site, it is a timber-frame
structure with interior panelling, ceiling
with rafters and a brushwood lining, a
triple layer of turf, and an intemal area of
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