Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1998, Blaðsíða 231

LANDSLØG f LANDNÁMSTÍÐ: FLOGSÁÐFRØÐILIG OG
GRÓKORNFRØÐILIG PRÓGV AV TOFTANESI
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Fig. 4. Pollen diagram (% total land pollen)for beetle sample contexts S1563 (=1) and S1622 (=2). • = <2% TLP
Mynd 4. Flogsáðstrikumynd (% av øllum landflogsáð) av samanhangi millum klukkuroyndirnar S1563 (= 1) og
S1622 (= 2). • = < 2 % TLP.
within and and around the buildings being
mixed with taxa imported in peat to the site.
A vital procedure is to attempt to discem
‘order’ within the fossil record. In the case
of both the pollen and the insects this is ar-
guably present. Figure 3 shows that the
pollen spectra from the inter-building sam-
ples are dominated by Poaceae (grass fam-
ily), Calluna vulgaris (heather) and Cyper-
aceae (sedge family). These are character-
istically dominant taxa of peatlands. The
presence of Lamiaceae (cf. Thymus poly-
trichus, wild thyme), Potentilla-type (tor-
mentil), Trifolium-type (clover), Rumex
acetosa (common sorrel), Ranunculus
acris-type (cf. meadow buttercup), Planta-
go lanceolata (ribwort plantain), Cerasti-
um-type (chickweed/stitchwort) and, of
course, Poaceae and Cyperaceae, is to be
expected in both dry and damp grasslands.
Wetter areas are reflected by the pollen of
Caltha palustris (marsh marigold), Cyper-
aceae and the spores of Equisetum (horse-
tail) and Sphagnum (bog moss).
Agricultural activity, and especially
grazing, may be denoted by many of the
grassland taxa. Cultivation is suggested by
the pollen of Cerealia-type (where classifi-
able, this was referable to Hordeum-type
[cf. barley]). There is no distinctive pres-
ence of the pollen of arable weed taxa and
it seems likely that arable crops were of mi-
nor importance.
There is little in the way of wood or
shmb pollen. Betula (birch) and Salix (wil-
low) are best represented. The birch would
seem to derive from tree (cf. B. pubescens)
rather than dwarf (B. nana) species on the
basis of pollen size measurements; tree
birch macrofossils have been found in peat
at Eiðisvatn (Mahler, 1991; Malmros,
1990, 1994). If locally present, birch was
probably located beyond the outfield of
Toftanes. The same would apply to any ju-
niper (Juniperus communis) which, like
willow, does not produce great quantities of
pollen. This may mean that any local wood-
land present at the time of landnám was