Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 2016, Blaðsíða 77

ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS76
Summary
Archaeological investigations in Oddbjarnarsker
On September 5th 2009 a crew of archaeologists sailed to the small island of
Oddbjarnarsker in Breiðafjörður. The excursion was carried out in collaboration
with the local archaeological society, Fornleifafélag Barðstrendinga og Dalamanna.
Oddbjarnarsker is an islet which has never been settled, but was used as a seasonal
fishing station. Earliest records of a fishing station in Oddbjarnarsker are dated
to the early 14th century, and it was known to have been in use into the 20th
century. During the fishing seasons it was inhabited by up to 170 people and,
was thus one of the most densely populated areas in Iceland. The aim of the trip
was twofold. Firstly, to survey the archaeological remains visible on the surface
and secondly to estimate the extent of sea erosion over the past decades in the
light of environmental changes. One of the main results of the project was that
it is evident that land loss in Oddbjarnarsker is substantial, at least 1000 m2 have
eroded off the shores of the island between 1984 and 2009 judging from aerial
photographs.