The Peopling of the North Atlantic: Isotopic Results from Iceland

Abstract

Abstract Iceland was colonized by settlers from the North Atlantic rim of Europe near the end of the first millennium AD. This ws a remarkable achievement and the subject of much discussion. Historical documents, the Sagas, suggest that the settlers came from western Norway and all arrived within a brief period after which no further settlement took place. Genetic data, both modern and ancient, suggests that the settlers came from several places in Scandinavia and the northern British Isles and Ireland. We have used isotopic proveniencing, focusing on strontium, oxygen, and carbon in tooth enamel from early burials on Iceland to examine questions of place of origin. We have dated a number of these burials to discuss questions of the timing and pace of arrivals. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in bone collagen were measured along with the radiocarbon date. Our data indicate that the settlers came from several different places, that settlement continued until around AD 1000 and stopped around the time of the transition to Christianity. We can also suggest that there was movement in both directions across the Atlantic. Changes in diet are suggested with greater consumption of marine foods over time. Some differences in diet are also related to the location of settlement, whether coastal or inland.