VSF 2010 Report - Nabo

BOTANICAL REMAINS FROM A SAMPLE COLUMN THROUGH THE FARM MOUND
Dawn Elise Mooney
University of Aberdeen and Fornleifastofnun Íslands
Introduction
During fieldwork at Vatnsfjörður in 2008, a sample column for soil micromorphological
sampling was excavated on the western edge of the farm mound by a team from the
University of Stirling, Scotland. This western edge was chosen for several reasons. Firstly, it
is located away from the main structures situated on the farm mound, and as such excavations
here were unlikely to disturb any buildings or other key archaeological features. This area
behind the buildings was also a likely location for midden deposits, which would contain
domestic waste from throughout the period of occupation of the farm mound. Lastly, the
diverted stream course which flows to the west of the farm mound provided easy access to
these deposits (Parkin et al 2009). The purpose of this column was to obtain samples for a
soil micromorphological study of fuel resources at Vatnsfjörður from the earliest occupation
of the site into the Medieval Period. 27 separate contexts were identified in the column,
which reached a maximum depth of 1.5m. Three radiocarbon dates from Betula charcoal
were obtained from the column, giving calibrated dates of AD 825±35 (24cm from base of
column), AD 1035±35 (29cm from base of column) and AD 1220±35 (84cm from base of
column) (Parkin et al 2009). This shows that the midden deposits here date from Landnám
into the Medieval Period. The analysis of 8 micromorphological samples from throughout the
column show that:
“There appears to have been a consistent mix of a range of fuel resources utilised
from Landnám into the early Norse period, before high-temperature peat burning
became to most prevalent type of combustion on the farm mound. This situation
remained the same for a considerable length of time until, sometime prior to the
mid-thirteenth century, wood charcoal made a noticeable return to prominence.”
(Parkin et al 2009, p.141)
In 2010, a second column was excavated adjacent to and to the north of the 2008 column, in
order to collect bulk samples for archaeobotanical remains from throughout the depth of these
midden deposits. The analysis of these samples allows three separate avenues through which
to understand changes which took place between the Viking Age and Medieval Period at
Vatnsfjörður: changes in local environment and plant resource exploitation, changes in fuel
use, and changes in the origin of wood used for fuel at the site. These results should be
directly comparable to the 2008 column, and thus help build a fuller picture of the Viking Age
and Medieval Period occupation of the Vatnsfjörður farm mound.
Excavation
Excavation of the sample column took place during the last week of July 2010, the first week
of the VSF10 field season. Twenty-two individual contexts were identified during
excavation, and it was these that were sampled for archaeobotanical remains (Figure 1 and
accompanying context descriptions). A mixed layer of dark brown sandy silt was uncovered
sitting on top of a recent turf mat – this was spoil from the 2008 adjacent test pit. Below this
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