Was the original settlement of Iceland earlier than we thought?

[Jim Webster]

Just seen this article

https://icelandmag.is/article/new-archaeological-research-forces-historians-reconsider-story-icelands-settlement

[Andreas Johansson]

Interesting.

Raises a semantic issue re "settlement", though - if this was a non-permanent camp, does it count as a "settlement"?

It does strike me as a bit weird to build such large structures for a seasonal camp, BTW. If something of this size had been found in Scandinavia, wouldn't we be thinking something like "chieftain's meadhall" rather than seasonal camp? The article doesn't say anything about any finds suggesting any particular purpose to the construction.

[Jim Webster]

Interesting.

Raises a semantic issue re "settlement", though - if this was a non-permanent camp, does it count as a "settlement"?

It does strike me as a bit weird to build such large structures for a seasonal camp, BTW. If something of this size had been found in Scandinavia, wouldn't we be thinking something like "chieftain's meadhall" rather than seasonal camp? The article doesn't say anything about any finds suggesting any particular purpose to the construction.

I got the impression there may still be a lot of discussion within archaeological circles over exactly what it is. As you say, it seems an awfully big structure for a seasonal camp.

[Erpingham]

I was put in mind of L'Anse aux Meadows, another short-lived pioneering settlement.  Again, it isn't certain whether this was a settlement that didn't thrive or an intentionally temporary base for resource exploitation.