Grassroots modernization: pastoral economies, climate, and political change in Iceland's 18th though 20th centuries

Summary

The intersecting tensions among Iceland's hay cultivation, livestock productivity, and climate have a long history and a significant influence on both political discourse and local knowledge production. In the 18th century, Iceland was assessed by its Danish colonial government as being a marginally productive region in terms of its significant rural surpluses. Even in spite of producing some surplus, the country struggled with periodic famines until the late 19th century. These events and perspectives were produced in the context of a highly variable climate which at times severely impacted grass growth and the hay harvest. However, in our study area, the Mývatn region, farmers ecologically re- structured their upland, wetland landscape and surpassed perceived limitations on grass and livestock productivity. These shifts were enmeshed with significant social change; a transition away from feudal style governance and toward participation in capitalist free markets. This collaborative interdisciplinary research synthesizes archaeological data, historical documentary evidence, primary sources of ecological information, and climate data in order to understand these deliberate cultural and ecological changes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Historical Ecology for Applied Archaeology: Climate Change, Resource Management, and Governance

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 13192