Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2015, Page 35

Elín Ósk Hreiðarsdóttir, Guðrún Alda Gísladóttir,
Kristborg Þórsdóttir And Ragnheiður Gló Gylfadóttir
ABANDONED SETTLEMENTS
AT THE FOOT OF MT HEKLA:
A STUDY BASED ON FIELD SURVEYIN RANGÁRVELLIR
A recent archaeological field survey conducted by the authors in Rangárvellir near
Mt Hekla in southern Iceland revealed a high number of abandoned farmsteads. This
new set of data is valuable for the ongoing debate on farm abandonment in Iceland.
In an area historically with fewer than 60 farm units, 149 abandoned farmsteads were
recorded, with abandonment dates spanning the duration of Icelandic history. In order
to place the survey data in context of the wider discourse about abandoned settlements
in Iceland, as well as to prepare for further research in the district, a pilot study was
conducted. The study showed that the settlement pattern in Rangárvellir has changed
drastically through time. New farmsteads were continuously being established and
others abandoned, even though the number of farm units remained fairly stable through
long periods. It is argued that a significant proportion of the abandoned farms do not
represent abandonment as much as relocation triggered by unstable environmental
conditions. The negotiation between settlement and the volcanic environment is
a major characteristic of this area. It is characterised by movement and adaptability
demonstrating resilience in the face of challenging environmental conditions.
Elín Ósk Hreiðarsdóttir, Guðrún Alda Gísladóttir, Kristborg Þórsdóttir
& Ragnheiður Gló Gylfadóttir. Fornleifastofnun íslands, Reykjavík, Iceland. Email:
elin@instarch.is, gudrun@instarch.is, kristborg@instarch.is, ragnheidur@instarch.is
Keywords: Rangárvellir, Iceland, field survey, settlement history,
adaptation, farm abandonment, volcanic activity.
Introduction
Rangárvellir (or Rangárvalla/ireppwr) is
the name of an old administrative unit,
the inhabited region closest to the vol-
cano Mt Hekla in southern Iceland. It lies
southwest of the volcano, much closer
to it than Þjórsárdalur valley 15 km to
the north - where Heklas impacts on
medieval settlement has a long research his-
tory (Þórarinsson 1944; Stummann Hansen
2005; Dugmore et al. 2007). Rangárvellirs
name is descriptive for it is a relatively flat
area (Icel. “vellir”) between two rivers,
both named Rangá (Eystri- and Ytri-). The
southern limit of the area is a few kilometres
Archaeologia Islandica 11 (2015) 33-56