Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2015, Page 51

Abandoned Settlements at the Foot of Mt Hekla
Relocations of farms are best docu-
mented in the last few centuries. The farm
of Heiði (Engl. “Heath”) is an example of
a well-documented relocation of a farm-
stead. The farm has been moved at least
four times due to soil erosion. The oldest
known farmstead is about 3 km southeast
of the latest farmstead, which is still occu-
pied. The only visible remain of the oldest
farm is a low farm mound, which is gradu-
ally eroding. It is not known when the
farm was first moved but it has been sug-
gested that it was early in the 18thcentury
(Sigurðsson 1982, 159).
As we move further back in time there
is less written information about relocation
of farmsteads but the results of the survey
suggests that at least a part of the abandon-
ment and foundation of new farmsteads
in earlier periods can be explained by re-
locations. An example can be found on
the riverbank of Rangá eystri, east of the
church-farm Keldur. Clear evidence of two
farmsteads and an indication of the third
were found in an area that is 3,2 km in length
running from east to west. The most recent
and best preserved of these farmsteads is
called Árbær and was abandoned in 1899
(see Figure 3) due to heavy erosion of the
outfields. The first mention of Árbær in
written documents is from the 15,hcentury.
Another farmstead that is clearly older, is
eroding about 1,5 km west of Árbær. It has
been named Árbrún in modern times but
nothing is known about its original name
or date. At this site three small mounds are
still visible. The third possible farmstead
consists of a single eroded mound about
1,7 km west of Árbrún. The name of this
site is unknown but its proximity to two
separate pagan burial sites (discovered in
the late 19thcentury due to erosion in the
area) might suggest a Viking Age date. Of
the three farmsteads the last mentioned is
likely to be the oldest (indicated by its con-
dition and the proximity to pagan burials).
At Árbrún there are still substantial re-
mains even if it is heavily eroded. The ruins
at Árbær are still intact, untouched by ero-
sion. We suggest that all three farmsteads
belong to the same farm, which has been
relocated at least twice because of erosion.
In Rangárvellir there are many similar ex-
amples that suggest change in farm loca-
tion in earlier centuries.
It is evident that the settlement in
Rangárvellir has changed considerably
through the centuries and the result of the
pilot study indicates large scale movement
of farms. Traditionally farm abandonment
in Iceland has been viewed in terms of fail-
ure to adjust to environmental conditions
and changes. The results of the pilot study
in Rangárvellir suggest that abandonment
in this area could just as well indicate the
opposite: people’s adaptability to changing
environmental conditions.
As table 3 indicates there is no clear
relationship between the overall estimated
impact of Hekla’s eruptions in each period
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