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The Vatnsfjörður Project: Pathways to and from a Medieval Power Centre

Karen Milek, Dawn Elise Mooney, Véronique Forbes, Lukasz Mikołajczyk, Tom Birch (University of Aberdeen)

Oddgeir Isaksen, Garðar Guðmundsson, Guðrún Alda Gísladóttir, Howell M. Roberts (FSÍ) Céline Dupont-Hébert (Laval University)

Oscar Aldred (University of Iceland) Poul Baltzer Heide (University of Aarhus)

Ian Simpson, Eileen Tisdall, Rebecca Barclay, Simon Parkin (University of Stirling) Thomas McGovern (City University of New York)

Vatnsfjörður

(Oscar Aldred)

Church Farm Shieling All sites

c. 900 sites c. 500 cairns

Vatnsfjörður: A Central Place

Routes marked by cairns

(Oscar Aldred, Poul Baltzer Heide)

Vatnsfjörður

Other farms

Cairns

Why was Vatnsfjörður chosen as the seat of the Vatnsfirðingur?

Quality of Farm Land? Topography and solar radiation

(OA)

10th-11th c Farm Mound: 11th-20th c

Quality of Farm Land? Management of homefield soils

(Ian Simpson, Eileen Tisdall, Rebecca Barclay)

Vatnsfjörður in the 10th-11th century

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

% N

ISP

FishBirdsCetaceaSealsHorseCaprinesCattle

(Tom McGovern)

Conspicuous production and consumption of iron

(Tom Birch) 150 kg smelting and smithing slag, 44 kg of partially refined iron

Vatnsfjörður in the 12th-16th century: Woodland management

(Rebecca Barclay, Eileen Tisdall, Ian Simpson, Jamie Anderson)

C14 on Betula: 890-1020

Katla 1721

Vatnsfjörður in the Medieval Period: 11th-16th century waste

H-1693

1220 ± 35

1035 ± 35

(Simon Parkin, Ian Simpson) (Dawn Mooney)

Vatnsfjörður in the Medieval Period: 14th-16th century

Driftwood rights owned by Vatnsfjörður in the 16th century

Wood collection rights owned by Vatnsfjörður in the 14th-16th century (Dawn Mooney)

The Vatnsfjörður Farm Mound

Gr. 8590: Stones

Gr. 8590: Turf in walls

Negative features

Earier remains

0m 20m

[11571]

1907 foundation cut

0m 20m

1907 foundation cut

Small mound of ash deposits in the main room1884 farm house: Turf in walls

Turf in earlier walls used with the 1884 farm house

Earier remains

Negative featrues

1884 farm house: Stones.

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7

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9

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11

6

13

(GR.7500)(G

R.12619)

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7

8

9

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6

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17th century farm house: Stones.

17th century farm house: Turf in walls

1884 remains, not excavated

Negative featrues

1907 foundation cut

(Gr. 7500)

0m 20m

[11620]

Gr. (10662)

Gr. (9502)

Gr. (10590)

Gr. (11630)

Gr. (8562)

Gröf

The Future at Vatnsfjörður? Medieval middens, 17th-century house, coastal structures

Gaming piece Probably 12th century

(Céline Dupont-Hébert)

Aerial photo: Garðar Guðmundsson

Acknowledgements North Atlantic Biocultural Organization (NABO) Institute of Archaeology, Iceland Universities of Aberdeen, Iceland, Laval, Oslo City University of New York (NORSEC) Government of Iceland Icelandic Research Council (Rannís) Westfjords in the Middle Ages Society University Centre of the Westfjords Social Sci and Humanities Research Council of Canada Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland Royal Society of Edinburgh Westfjords Heritage Museum Education Centre of the Westfjords

UNIVERSITY CENTRE OF THE WESTFJORDS