Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2015, Page 47

Abandoned Settlements at the Foot of Mt Hekla
to view the distribution of the farmsteads
in a landscape context and to be able to
relate them to environmental factors (e.g.
vegetation).
As mentioned above the condition of
the abandoned farms and their research po-
tential was very variable. When evaluating
the research potential of the area, each site
was assessed based on a broad range of in-
formation gathered in the field such as the
condition of the ruins; the visible accumula-
tion of cultural layers and later disturbance
at the site. When classifying research po-
tential, abandoned farmsteads that were at
great risk due to environmental factors were
considered higher priority than those that
were not threatened. Farmsteads which had
limited or no dating evidence were also con-
sidered higher priority. The classification of
research potential was in this way weighed
towards gathering as much new information
as possible on the sites before they are for-
ever lost. The abandoned farmsteads classi-
fied as suitable for further investigation were
all deserted before the 20th century and have
therefore not been aífected by mechanised
farming introduced in the middle of the 20lh
century. Of the 149 abandoned farmsteads
in the district, 82 were considered suitable
for further investigation, or 55%. This shows
the enormous possibilities for research in
the area. Half of these, or about 40 sites were
considered the highest priority based on the
present lack of knowledge about them and
high threat levels.
Dating of the settlement
Without excavation the dating of the farms
and their abandonment could in most cases
only be assigned to broad time spans. The
aim of the study was therefore limited to
assembling available dating indications and
placing the results in a broad chronological
framework. This framework is designed to
be broad enough that it does not test the
limitations of the dating evidence but also
to provide adequate resolution for major
developments to be discerned. It is hoped
that this will serve as a foundation for more
detailed research that will, no doubt, im-
prove our current understanding of the set-
tlement history of Rangárvellir. The period
from landnám to 1900 century was divided
into four periods:
1. 900-1300
2. 1300-1650
3. 1650-1800
4. 1800-1900
The dating of the farmsteads was based on
available information gathered from writ-
ten sources, field survey and analysis of
artefacts recovered from the sites. All the
farm names were examined and classified
by whether they were considered primary
or secondary. A full documentary sur-
vey was done for all the farms, based on
documents printed in Diplomatarium is-
landicum and other sources such as land
registers and maps in order to try and find
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