Environmental DNA Reveals Reykjavík’s Human and Ecological History

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Summary Iceland was among the last large islands settled by humans, with colonization (Landnám) in the late 9th century CE (Common Era) and is often portrayed as an ecological disaster driven by the Norse settlers. Here, we revisit this narrative through environmental DNA (eDNA) and multiproxy analyses of sediment cores from Lake Tjörnin in central Reykjavík, one of Iceland’s earliest and longest-occupied settlements. Originally a marine embayment, Tjörnin became a freshwater lake around 660 CE. Our record reveals a human presence decades before the long-accepted arrival date of 877 CE, marked by the Landnám volcanic tephra. Early settlement brought livestock, barley cultivation, and other introduced taxa that enhanced nutrient cycling and unexpectedly increased local biodiversity. Contrary to the conventional view of rapid deforestation, eDNA shows that birch and willow expanded during the settlement period, likely supported by deliberate management. Pronounced ecological and land use shifts occurred after 1200 CE, but these were coeval with the Little Ice Age cooling, compounded by volcanic eruptions, storm surges, and plague, rather than anthropogenic degradation. Crop cultivation ceased, arboreal taxa retracted, and grazing pressure maintained open landscapes. Even more profound ecological changes came after c. 1750 CE with urbanization and industrialization, as wastewater discharge, heavy-metal pollution, and fossil fuel use reshaped Tjörnin’s ecosystem. These findings challenge the prevailing model of Norse-induced environmental collapse, revealing instead a dynamic human–environment relationship shaped by both cultural practices and external stressors. By applying eDNA to a long-occupied urban catchment, we demonstrate the power of genomic methods to refine settlement chronologies, reassess ecological baselines and changes, and integrate natural and cultural histories. This approach offers a model for revisiting human–environment interactions in urban centers worldwide.

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