Three Grains Give Iceland’s Settlement Story a Fresh Twist

Archaeological excavations at a Viking Age hall in Auðkúla, located in the Westfjords of Iceland, have recovered three barley grains from the building's floor. Radiocarbon dating conducted at the University indicates the farm was inhabited from approximately AD 870.

These physical finds are challenging the long-held historical view that human settlement in this specific region of Iceland began at a later date.