Claiming a wilderness : Atlantic Gaels and the island Norse
This thesis reviews archaeological material, medieval literature, place-names and palaeoenvironmental data cited in explorations of the early Viking Age North Atlantic area, and proposes a reassessment of chronology for the earliest settlement of Iceland. After analysing previous scholarship and discussing the problems inherent in study of early North Atlantic settlement, it is suggested that a multi-disciplinary approach is needed and can be articulated (by drawing upon Karl Popperâs ideas) to foster a fruitful conversation between disciplines. This methodology for engaging with multi-disciplinary materials is then presented. Three sections follow, tackling in turn three areas of Viking Age scholarship that have caused difficulty and frustration in the past: the toponymy of Hebridean Pap-islands (Chapter Three); the chronology of carve construction, occupation and human-environmental interactions at Seljaland in southern Iceland (Chapters Four, Five, Six, and Seven); and the Ä°rland et mikla tradition of medieval literature, including discussion of the views of the largely forgotten nineteenth-century scholar EugĂšne Beauvois (Chapter Eight). Couched in a Popperian methodology, the new archaeological and
Ahronson, KristjĂĄn
Scottish studies ; Viking Age North Atlantic
Claiming a wilderness : Atlantic Gaels and the island Norse. This thesis reviews archaeological material, medieval literature, place-names and palaeoenvironmental data cited in explorations of the early Viking Age North Atlantic area, and proposes a reassessment of chronology for the earliest settlement of Iceland. After analysing previous scholarship and discussing the problems inherent in study of early North Atlantic settlement, it is suggested that a multi-disciplinary approach is needed and can be articulated (by drawing upon Karl Popperâs ideas) to foster a fruitful conversation between disciplines. This methodology for engaging with multi-disciplinary materials is then presented. Three sections follow, tackling in turn three areas of Viking Age scholarship that have caused difficulty and frustration in the past: the toponymy of Hebridean Pap-islands (Chapter Three); the chronology of carve construction, occupation and human-environmental interactions at Seljaland in southern Iceland (Chapters Four, Five, Six, and Seven); and the Ä°rland et mikla tradition of medieval literature, including discussion of the views of the largely forgotten nineteenth-century scholar EugĂšne Beauvois (Chapter Eight). Couched in a Popperian methodology, the new archaeological and
wilderness atlantic island norse review archaeological_material medieval literature place_names palaeoenvironmental data cite exploration early viking_age north_atlantic area propose reassessment chronology early settlement iceland analyse previous_scholarship discuss problem_inherent study early north_atlantic settlement suggest multi_disciplinary need articulate draw_upon idea foster fruitful conversation discipline engage multi_disciplinary material present three_section follow tackle turn three_area viking_age scholarship cause difficulty frustration past hebridean islands chronology carve construction occupation human environmental interaction southern iceland four_five tradition medieval literature include_discussion view largely forgotten nineteenth_century scholar new archaeological