Colonialism and modernity in medieval (?) Iceland

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Medieval to Modern Transitions and Historical Archaeology" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

This paper explores the implications of an archaeology of colonialism and modernity in Iceland. Colonialism in ‘Old Society’ Iceland was realized in the regulation of trade, and informal and formal administration by Norway, England, and Denmark. Colonial administrators and foreign tourists often viewed Iceland as provincial and backward. Modernization in the late 19th century coincided with Icelandic independence and was characterized by the flow of capital and labor from the rural countryside to emerging urban centers. Archaeologically, this transition is seen in new commercial centers and a rapid increase in ceramics and other trade goods at rural farms. Prior to the 19th century, trade goods are relatively rare in archaeological deposits. Should the late 19th century rise in imports be seen as marking Iceland’s move out of medieval modes of production or did earlier administrative policy produce structured absences in commercial goods that represent emerging colonial and capitalist modes?

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Medieval to Modern Transitions and Historical Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 834