Year of grant:
2006

Research Area:
Mentan

Project type:
Verkætlan

Project title:
Faroes: The Heart of the Atlantic Project.

Grant number:
0210

Project manager:
Símun V. Arge

Institution/company:
Føroya Fornminnissavn

Project period:
1.1.2007-31.12.2008

Grant from the FRC in DKK:
Játtað: 653.196 DKK - Brúkt: 291.881 DKK

Project description:
Original Description:
The aim of this project is to consolidate and disseminate the archaeological findings from „The Heart of the Atlantic Project“ based on the continuing work on Sandoy led by Símun V. Arge, Faroese National Museum, and also to increase specialised archaeological skills within the Faroes.

„The Heart of the Atlantic Project“ is designed as a multidisciplinary investigation into the cultural impact on the landscape and the adaption to the resources presented by the Faroe Islands from first settlement onwards.

The question of economic, cultural and social change is being examined together with other aspects such as changes in trade and contact. A programme of extensive survey designed to enhance the existing sites and monuments record is supplementing the excavated record. This application is designed to consolidate this work and to help disseminate the outcomes to a wider audience than that of normal archaeological publications.

The dissemination at a public level is designed to encourage an understanding of cultural identity and the development of the landscape from landnám to the historic landscape and beyond to the present day and also to aid development of tourism resources within the Faroes.

The ultimate aim of this funding is to assist future post excavation and survey programmes. The product is seen as being the final academic publication and specialist papers in academic journals.

The production of a multi-language (Faroese and English) illustrated booklet is seen as being a core initial output serving a much larger interest group. It is intended that this publication, which will be a co-product of Føroya Fornminnissavn and the periodical FRØÐI, will be written in a format that will serve both an internal Faroese market as well as visiting tourists.

A series of internet ‘web’ pages (again in a multi-language format) will be designed to complement this booklet and enable new information to be quickly accessed by a range of groups such as academic scholars, university students, school students, interested members of the public and potential tourists.

Displays in poster format will take place both at the National Museum and locally in Sandoy coinciding with field activity. These will inform on the aims and outcomes of the project. It is suggested that this should be an annual event to complement the tourist season and field activity.

Final Report:
The aim of the projct “The Heart of the Atlantic” is to consolidate and disseminate the archaeological findings from the project based on continuing work on Sandoy and to increase specialised skills within the Faroes.

"The Heart of Atlantic Project" is a multidisciplinary investigation into the impact on the cultural landscape and the adaption to the resources presented by the Faroe Islands from first settlement onwards based on the investigations at the church site in the village of Sandur as well as at other sites on the islands of Sandoy.

The question of economic, cultural and social change is being examined together with other aspects such as changes in trade and contact. A programme of extensive survey designed to enhance the existing sites and monuments record is supplementing the excavated record.

The investigations have so far given new knowledge and insight into early Faroese history, especially regarding the islands’ paleoeconomy. Also the datings of the permanent settlement have pushed the habitation on the sites investigated further back in time – back to ca. 800 AD and even further back. Quite unespected and interesting were dates that proved settlement activity at Sondum in two periods prior to the Viking settlement – to the 4.-5.th. centuries and again the 6.-7.th centuries. These results are posing new questions to future research demanding continued discussion of questions like when and who were the first to settle the islands during this early stage of history.

The ultimate aim of this funding was to assist future post excavation and survey programmes, e.g with the production of a Data Structure Report 2004-06 and providing modern equipment. The product is seen as being the final academic publication and specialist papers in academic journals.

Project status:
Liðug

Project output:
Scientific articles etc.:
Woollett, J., Arge, S.V., Church, M.J., & McGovern, T.H. (2003): Report of Archaeological Fieldwork at Undir Junkarinsfløtti, Sandur, Sandoy, 2003. Landscapes Circum Landnám Project. Field Report. Feb. 2004 McGovern, T.H., Amundsen, C., Perdikaris, S., Harrison, R., Krivogorskaya, Y. (2004): An Interim report of a Viking-Age & Medieval Archaeofauna from Undir Junkarinsfløtti, Sandoy, Faroe Islands, NORSEC Zooarchaeology Laboratory Reports no 17 Church, M.J., Arge, S.V., Brewington, S., McGovern, T.H., Woollett, J., Perdikaris, S., Lawson, I.T., Cook, G.T., Amundsen, C., Harrison R., Krivogorskaya, K. and Dunbar, E. (2005): Puffins, Pigs, Cod, and Barley: Palaeoeconomy at Undir Junkarinsfløtti, Sandoy, Faroe Islands. Environmental Archaeology 10, 179-197 Lawson, I.T., Church, M.J., McGovern, T., Arge, S.V., Edwards, K.J., Gathorne-Hardy, F.J., Dugmore, A.J., Mairs, K-A., Thomson, A.M., Woollett, J. and Sveinbjarnardóttir, G. (2005): Historical ecology on Sandoy, Faroe Islands: palaeoenvironmental and archaeological perspectives. Human Ecology 33-5 Arge, S. V. (2005): Um svínahald í Føroyum – eitt ískoyti til ein horvnan part av forna føroyska húsarhaldinum. Fólkaleikur. Heiðursrit til Jóan Paula Joensen. Ed.: A. Mortensen. Føroya Fróðskaparfelag. Tórshavn, pp. 38-52 Ascough, P.L., G.T. Cook, M.J. Church, A.J. Dugmore, S.V. Arge and T.H. McGovern (2006): Variability in North Atlantic marine radiocarbon reservoir effects at c. AD 1000. The Holocene 16, 1 (2006), pp. 131-136 Arge, Símun V., Church, Mike J. & Brewington, Seth 2009: Pigs in the Faroe Islands: An Ancient Facet of the Island’s Paleoeconomy.Journal of the North Atlantic 2009:2, 1-14 Arge, S.V., R. Edvardsson and R. Friel 2010: The Heart of the Atlantic Project: Excavations at Undir Junkarinsfløtti and á Klettum: Field Seasons 2004-2006. Interim Report Number 2 (Data Structure Report). Compiled by R. Edvardsson and R. Friel. Bradford Archaeological Sciences Research 2010 (202pp) Arge, S.V., R. Friel, J.E. Cussans & A.R.R. Mustchin in prep./2011. The Heart of the Atlantic Project: Excavations at Við Kirkjugarð. Field Seasons 2008 – 2009. Interim Report Number 1 (Data Structure Report). Compiled by R. Friel. Føroya Fornminnissavn, FO-100 Tórshavn, Føroyar. Division of Archaeological, Geographical & Environmental Sciences, University of Bradford BD7 1DP

Reports, presentations etc.:
McGovern, Thomas H. "Introduction to the Heart of the Atlantic Project." Heart of the Atlantic Project Seminar 2006. University of Bradford, Dept. of Archaeological Sciences. (Mars 2006) Church, M., Edvardsson, R., Dockrill, S., Bond, J. “Undir Junkarinsfløtti, the 2005 Season and Beyond.” Heart of the Atlantic Project Seminar 2006, University of Bradford, Dept. of Archaeological Sciences (Mars 2006) Friel, R., “Survey on Sandoy,” Heart of the Atlantic Project Seminar 2006, University of Bradford, Dept. of Archaeological Sciences (Mars 2006) Arge, S. V., Pig farming in the Faroe Islands. A disbanded facet of the island’s paleoeconomy. “The View from Here: History and Ecology of the North Atlantic Region”. NABO 2006-conference. Université Laval, Quebec City (Sept 2006) Arge, S. V., “Introduction to sites and settings on Sandoy.”. Heart of the Atlantic Project Seminar 2007, University of Durham (Mars 2007) Dockrill, S., Bond, J., “Excavations at Undir Junkarinsfløtti 2006”. Heart of the Atlantic Project Seminar 2007, University of Durham (Mars 2007. Brewington, S., “Preliminary analysis of animal Bones from Undir Junkarinsfløtti.” Heart of the Atlantic Project Seminar 2007. University of Durham 2007 (Mars 2007) Church, M. J. 2008: ”Heart of the Atlantic”. International archaeological and environmental science collaboration investigating Norse settlement on the island of Sandoy. Maritime Societies of Viking and Medieval World. 31 May - 4 June 2008, Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland. Arge, S. V. 2008: ”Heart of the Atlantic”. Archaeological Futures: A Research Agenda for the North Atlantic. NABO Conference 30 August – 1 Sept 2008. Bradford University. Arge, S. V. 2011: Presentation of the ”Heart of the Atlantic”-projects 2007-09. NABO-work-shop. Edinburgh 24.-25. September 2011. Edinburgh University

Popular science publications etc.:
Sosialurin 2004, nr. 58, 24. Mars: Altjóða granskingarlið til Sands. Spennandi útgrevstur. Arge, S. V. (2001): Forn búseting heima á Sandi. FRØÐI 2. Føroya Fróðskaparfelag. Tórshavn, pp. 4-13 Dimma/Skái 2005, nr. 16, 26. August: Rannsóknir í Junkarinsfløtti heima á Sandi 2005. Vikublaðið 2005, 6. September: Bústaðaleivdir úr víkingaøld Arge, S. V. (2006): Føroysku víkingarnir vóru veiðimenn. FRØÐI 2. Føroya Fróðskaparfelag. Tórshavn, pp. 4-11 SVF/Mentunardeildin, apríl 2006, Junkarinsfløttur heima á Sandi Sosialurin 2006, nr. 153, 11. August: Grava nú aftur heima á Sandi Sosialurin 2006, nr. 168, 1. September: Rannsóknirnar heima á Sandi av á hesum sinni. Vikublaðið 2006, 15. August: Fornfrøðiligu rannsóknirnar heima á Sandi halda fram – Oljuvinnan stuðlar. SVF/Dagur & Vika. 11. August 2006: Fornfrøðiligar rannsóknir heima á Sandi SVF/SPEKI 2007: Fornt svínahald - eitt ískoyti til ein horvnan part av føroyska húsarhaldinum. S. V. Arge, fyrilestur. (Apríl 2007) Dimma 2007, nr. 162. 23. August: Forngrevstur í Sandoy á heimskortið Arge, S. V. 2007: Fornfrøðiligar rannsóknir Heima á Sandi. Fyrilestur á Hotel Ørkini, Reykjavík. (Sept 2007) Arge, Símun V. & Robert Friel 2008: Víkingaaldar búseting í Søltuvík. Kvørnin. Nr. 11. Sands Fornminnafelag. Pp. 46-50 Arge, Símun V. & Robert Friel 2009: Fornfrøðiliga rannsókninheima á Sandi 2009. Kvørnin. Nr. 12. Sands Fornminnafelag. Pp. 60-63 SVF/Dagur & Vika, 28.05.2011: Samrøða við S.V. Arge um tíðarfestingarnar á Sondum heima á Sandi RÚV – íslendska ríkisútvarpið 12.09.2011: Samrøða við S.V. Arge - tíðindi um tíðarfestingarnar á Sondum Framsýningar: Fyribils-úrslit frá verkætlanini eru almannakunngjørd í framsýning Fornminnissavnsins í Brekkutúni í myndum og teksti, eins og gripir eru at síggja í montrum. Somuleiðis er gjørd minni framsýning í høli á kommunuskrivstovuni heima á Sandi við myndum, teksti og tveimum montrum. Henda kunning er nú flutt í hølini hjá nýggja bókasavninum í bygdini.



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