Professor Mike Church m.j.church@durham.ac.uk
Professor
Charcoal production during the Norse and early medieval periods in Eyjafjallahreppur, Southern Iceland
Church, MJ; Dugmore, AJ; Mairs, K-A; Millard, A; Cook, GT; Sveinbjarnardóttir, G; Ascough, PA; Newton, AJ; Roucoux, K
Authors
AJ Dugmore
K-A Mairs
A Millard
GT Cook
G Sveinbjarnardóttir
PA Ascough
AJ Newton
K Roucoux
Abstract
Timber procurement and the use of woodlands is a key issue in the Norse and Medieval period in the North Atlantic islands. This paper outlines evidence for the timing and mechanisms of Norse deforestation in an area of southern Iceland which is tracked through the mapping and analysis of charcoal production pits. Precise dating of the use of these charcoal production pits within a Bayesian framework is demonstrated through the combination of tephrochronology, sediment accumulation rates and multiple radiocarbon dates on the archaeological charcoal. The implications for using charcoal as a dating medium for radiocarbon dating in Iceland and the wider North Atlantic are then explored. Finally, the nature of the deforestation and human impact on the environment is placed into the context of the Norse landnám across the North Atlantic.
Citation
Church, M., Dugmore, A., Mairs, K., Millard, A., Cook, G., Sveinbjarnardóttir, G., …Roucoux, K. (2007). Charcoal production during the Norse and early medieval periods in Eyjafjallahreppur, Southern Iceland. Radiocarbon, 49(2), 659-672
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Date | Nov 1, 2007 |
Deposit Date | Dec 5, 2008 |
Publicly Available Date | Dec 5, 2008 |
Journal | Radiocarbon |
Print ISSN | 0033-8222 |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 49 |
Issue | 2 |
Pages | 659-672 |
Keywords | Norse, Iceland, Deforestation, Radiocarbon, Tephrochronology, Charcoal. |
Publisher URL | http://www.radiocarbon.org/ |
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