Abstract
The aim of the project Norse Farming in Greenland: Agriculture on the edge was to determine whether the Norse farmers actually cultivated crops in Greenland during colonisation in the Viking age and the medieval period. This was investigated by analysing macrofossils extracted from soil samples of middens, combined with phosphate analyses of the area around Norse farmsteads.
In three field seasons 450 kg of soil was sampled from 12 Norse farmsteads together with samples for phosphate analysis covering an area of 12 ha from two farmsteads.
The soil samples contained numerous seeds from wild plants giving information about the local vegetation. Charred grains and threshing waste of barley was found in samples from four sites, strongly indicating that barley was cultivated in Greenland by the Norse farmers.
The phosphate analyses showed no sign of any deliberate manuring of the infields as high concentrations of phosphate were only found around the houses and pens
In three field seasons 450 kg of soil was sampled from 12 Norse farmsteads together with samples for phosphate analysis covering an area of 12 ha from two farmsteads.
The soil samples contained numerous seeds from wild plants giving information about the local vegetation. Charred grains and threshing waste of barley was found in samples from four sites, strongly indicating that barley was cultivated in Greenland by the Norse farmers.
The phosphate analyses showed no sign of any deliberate manuring of the infields as high concentrations of phosphate were only found around the houses and pens
| Translated title of the contribution | Nordboernes landbrug i Grønland. Agerbrug i et afsides middelalder-landskab. |
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| Original language | English |
| Place of Publication | Turnhout, Belgium |
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| Publisher | Brepols Publishers |
| Volume | 10 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-2-503-55137-1 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-2-503-55194-4 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |