Use of phosphorous mapping and sea-level change data in assessing coastal activity zones and establishing site chronology: A case study from the Icelandic multi-period site of Vatnsfjörður

This paper presents the results of phosphorus mapping conducted on a number of coastal activity zones on the multi-period, archaeological farm site of Vatnsfjörður, northwest Iceland. The aim of the study was to detect the exact levels and extents of shorelines contemporary with the archaeological site’s activities and to use sea-level change to establish a relative chronology of coastal activity zones. Absolute dating of the coastal zones and sea-level changes was achieved by integrating an existing sea-level curve with a novel tephrochronology-based curve, created for the purpose of this research. Results were projected onto a detailed digital terrain model of the area in order to reconstruct the extent of the coastline contemporary with human activity in the respective zones. A significant component of the research was an attempt to develop the existing approach to phosphorus mapping results interpretation. This has resulted in an improved methodology that can be applied to the dynamic and challenging environments of coastal sites worldwide.