The Case of the Greenlandic Assembly Sites

Sanmark, Alexandra

doi:10.3721/037.002.s218

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The sedimentary response to anthropogenic forcing reaches its maximum circa 1180 ad and stays at a high level until circa 1335 ad . This is consistent with historical archives which indicate that Garðar became the episcopal seat of Greenland in 1124 ad (Krogh 1967), and the seat of the political assembly of the eastern settlement during the twefth century (Sanmark 2009). During that time, even if grazing activities supplemented with manure fertilisation increased nutrient production (Commisso and Nelson 2007, 2008; Ross and Zutter 2007; Buckland and others 2009), the diatom assemblages were undisturbed and the lake remained at a low trophic level.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

The history and impacts of farming activities in south Greenland: an insight from lake deposits

Bichet¹,

Gauthier²,

Massa³

et al. 2013

Polar Record

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Agriculture in southern Greenland has a two-phase history: with the Norse, who first settled and farmed the region between 985AD and circa 1450AD, and with the recent reintroduction of sheep farming (1920AD to the present). The agricultural sector in Greenland is expected to grow over the next century as anticipated climate warming extends the length of the growing season and increases productivity. This article presents a synthesis of results from a well-dated 1500-year lake sediment record from Lake Igaliku, south Greenland (61 • 00 N, 45 • 26 W, 15m asl) that demonstrates the relative impacts of modern and Norse agricultural activities. Pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), sediment mass accumulation rates, diatoms and stable isotopes of nitrogen provide a comprehensive history of both phases of agriculture and their associated impacts on the landscape and adjacent lake. The initial colonisation of southern Greenland is marked by a loss of tree birch pollen, a rise in weed taxa, and an increase in coprophilous fungi and sediment accumulation rate consistent with land-use changes. The biological and chemical proxies within the lake, however, show only slight changes in diatom taxa, and a rise in δ 15 N. After the Norse demise and during the Little Ice Age, most of the markers return to pre-settlement conditions. However, the continuation of non-indigenous plant taxa suggests that the landscape did not completely return to a pre-disturbance state. After 1988, the character of the lake changed markedly: mesotrophic diatoms and N isotopes all reveal major shifts consistent with a trophic shift, together with a sharp rise in sediment accumulation rate. The post-1988 lake environment, affected by modern farming development, is unprecedented within the context of the last 1500 years. These results demonstrate the potential of lake sediment studies paired with archaeological investigations to reveal the relationship between climate, environment and human societies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

The history and impacts of farming activities in south Greenland: an insight from lake deposits

Bichet¹,

Gauthier²,

Massa³

et al. 2013

Polar Record

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“…The area was settled soon after the Landnám, and Garðar is believed to have been the residence of the daughter of Erik the Red. Garðar was most likely the most important place in the Eastern Settlement as it became the Bishop seat as well as a probable Greenlandic assembly site (Jones, 1986;Sanmark, 2009). The high status of Garðar has been further supported by archeological fieldwork.…”

Section: Land-use Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic versus climatic control in a high-resolution 1500-year chironomid stratigraphy from a southwestern Greenland lake

et al. 2014

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“…From archaeological and written accounts, Igaliku was one of Norse Greenland’s most prosperous farm regions. Originally settled by Erik the Red’s daughter, Freydis, at the beginning of the Norse Landnám, it was given to the bishop in 1126 and became the site of the cathedral as well as the Thing (assembly) for the Eastern Settlement of Greenland (Jones, 1986; Sanmark, 2009). The farms are estimated to have housed between 75 and 100 cattle, in addition to sheep, and thus would have required extensive use of the surrounding land for grazing as well as hay production (Nørlund, 1936).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A paleoecological perspective on 1450 years of human impacts from a lake in southern Greenland

et al. 2012

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A multiproxy sedimentary record from Lake Igaliku in southern Greenland documents 1450 years of human impacts on the landscape. Diatoms, scaled chrysophytes, and C and N geochemistry show perturbations consistent with recent agricultural activities (post-ad 1980), superimposed upon long-term environmental variability. While the response to Norse agriculture (~ad 986-1450) is weak, the biological response to the last 30 years of modern sheep farming is marked, with drastic changes in diatom taxa, δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotopic ratios, and a sharp increase in scaled chrysophytes. Indeed, current conditions in the lake during the last 30 years are unprecedented in the context of the last 1450 years. The dominant driver for recent changes is likely an intensification of agricultural practices combined with warming summer temperatures. Warm temperatures and agricultural disturbance together during Norse Landnám did not lead to the marked changes seen in the modern lake environment over the last 30 years. The synergistic response between increased climate warming and agriculture will likely have unanticipated effects. These findings confirm the sensitivity of Arctic lakes to external anthropogenic forcing and are the first analyses of their kind for the effects of agriculture in Greenland.

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The Case of the Greenlandic Assembly Sites

Cited by 10 publications

References 7 publications

The history and impacts of farming activities in south Greenland: an insight from lake deposits

The history and impacts of farming activities in south Greenland: an insight from lake deposits

Anthropogenic versus climatic control in a high-resolution 1500-year chironomid stratigraphy from a southwestern Greenland lake

A paleoecological perspective on 1450 years of human impacts from a lake in southern Greenland

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