Ragnar Edvardsson, marine archaeologist with the University of Iceland’s Research Centre in the Westfjords has in recent years been exploring and cataloguing the archaeological remains of whaling in the Westfjords. According to Ragnar there the ocean has preserved important parts of Icelandic history.
Read more: Tour archaeological digs of Basque whaling stations in the Westfjords
People have frequently assumed that there can’t be any archaeological remains in the ocean around Iceland since exposure to the sea would have destroyed them, the local news site BB quotes Ragnar as saying. “But the conclusion of this and other underwater research I have conducted has demonstrated that remains are preserved much better than people had assumed. In fact, much better than on land.” Much of the history of whaling in Iceland is preserved off the coast.
Ragnar has, for example, discovered the entire graveyards of whale skeletons off the coast of the whaling stations he has studied in the Westfjords. “We find skeletons of all major species, blue whales, humpback whales, fin whales and you could go on. So, there is plenty of material for study, both from the viewpoint of archaeology and biology. It’s incredibly exciting.” Ragnar has also explored shipwrecks off the coasts of the Westfjords. “For example by Dvergasteinn [farm in Álftafjörður fjord in the Westfjords], a completely preserved shipwreck.”
Read more: Opinion – Whaling is not an Icelandic tradition
Whaling in Iceland was primarily conducted by foreigners until the second half of the 20th century when Icelanders began commercial whaling. At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century Norwegian whalers operated large bases in Iceland. These bases were shut down in 1915 when Iceland banned whaling. Ragnar estimates that the Norwegian whalers in Iceland killed at least 17,000 animals, putting significant strain on the whale populations around Iceland.
Ragnar Edvardsson, marine archaeologist with the University of Iceland’s Research Centre in the Westfjords has in recent years been exploring and cataloguing the archaeological remains of whaling in the Westfjords. According to Ragnar there the ocean has preserved important parts of Icelandic history.
Read more: Tour archaeological digs of Basque whaling stations in the Westfjords
People have frequently assumed that there can’t be any archaeological remains in the ocean around Iceland since exposure to the sea would have destroyed them, the local news site BB quotes Ragnar as saying. “But the conclusion of this and other underwater research I have conducted has demonstrated that remains are preserved much better than people had assumed. In fact, much better than on land.” Much of the history of whaling in Iceland is preserved off the coast.
Ragnar has, for example, discovered the entire graveyards of whale skeletons off the coast of the whaling stations he has studied in the Westfjords. “We find skeletons of all major species, blue whales, humpback whales, fin whales and you could go on. So, there is plenty of material for study, both from the viewpoint of archaeology and biology. It’s incredibly exciting.” Ragnar has also explored shipwrecks off the coasts of the Westfjords. “For example by Dvergasteinn [farm in Álftafjörður fjord in the Westfjords], a completely preserved shipwreck.”
Read more: Opinion – Whaling is not an Icelandic tradition
Whaling in Iceland was primarily conducted by foreigners until the second half of the 20th century when Icelanders began commercial whaling. At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century Norwegian whalers operated large bases in Iceland. These bases were shut down in 1915 when Iceland banned whaling. Ragnar estimates that the Norwegian whalers in Iceland killed at least 17,000 animals, putting significant strain on the whale populations around Iceland.
