Insect fossils from Viking age and Medieval houses in Iceland - what can thay tell us about life and environment?

Few constructions, such as wells, outhouses or other peripheral buildings and features, which can be used for macrofossil analysis, have been excavated at Icelandic Viking age or medieval settlement sites. This is in opposite to many similar excavated settlements in Northern Europe. Therefore, a very common sampling environment in Iceland is from former house floors. But a house floor also means special taphonomical problems and is also of limited use in interpretation of the activities both inside the houses and for the surrounding environment. There is also the risk of redeposition and human interference on the cultural layer caused by human activities inside the house.<p>Holar project, Holaransoknin, Hólaskoli, Iceland