Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2013, Page 73

THE SVALBARÐ PROJECT
prominent and massive midden
accumulation on the edge of the river
bank, north of the church and west of the
churchyard (Amorosi 1992). This
midden and its active deposition between
the mid llth and 14th century argues
strongly for the presence of an older farm
complex, now invisible, west of the
churchyard, close to the river bank.
Nevertheless, the presence of a
prominent farm mound, located just
southwest of the church and adjacent to
the modern houses, suggests that a
cluster of buildings might be found there.
It is possible this fann mound is derived
from a later farm complex dating
sometime after the 14th century, a
proposition fírst raised by the IPP project
members. The mound is still unexplored
however and has been impacted by
various episodes of building in the 20th
and 21st centuries.
The approximate historical
boundaries of the Svalbarð estate are
marked by the shore of Þistilfjörður in
the north, the Svalbarðsá river channel to
the west and the Sandá river channel to
the east. The estate’s property extended
at least 20 km south, to the vicinity of
Svalbarðsnúpur (Svalbarð’s mountain),
where the Svalbarðsá and Sandá rivers
have their headwaters. The territory
between the two rivers is called
Svalbarðstunga (literally “Svalbarð's
tongue”, as in tongue of land). A number
of small auxiliary farms, outhouses,
shielings and beitarhús (winter grazing
structures) as well as haystacks, peat
cutting areas, tracks, and cairns
associated with Svalbarð, in various
fashions are scattered over this very
extensive outlying property, one of the
largest in Iceland.
The farm territory fronts the sea and
the central farm at least had legal rights
to collect a range of essential subsistence
resources derived from the sea, including
fish, seals and sea birds, stranded whales,
drift wood and sea weed. These resources
were used i.a. for animal fodder, raw
materials and fuel (JÁM, 360). The area
is also particularly exposed to Arctic
climate influences notably wind and pack
ice. With a territory of over 120 - 150
km2 Svalbarð possessed an immense
hinterland suitable for sheep grazing, but
it was not considered ideal for making
hay and its productivity was highly
sensitive to climatic variations and
changes in snow cover.
Research premise
In recent years, archaeological research
has provided new data detailing the
varied processes of settlement,
adaptation and ecological ramifícations
related to the Norse colonisation of the
North Atlantic islands. From the 8th to
the lOth century, a rapid colonisation
movement brought Norse settlers
practising mixed farming, físhing and
hunting economies throughout the North
Atlantic, where varied ecological and
economic circumstances encouraged a
diversification of subsistence and
settlement practices. In the Faroe Islands
permanently-occupied coastal villages
were supported by a diverse subsistence
economy including cereal farming,
cattle, sheep and pig herding on a very
limited but relatively productive land
base, and by fishing, whale hunting and
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