Abstract
In Viking Age Scandinavia, feasting was much more than a communal dining experience. It was a nuanced event. Feasting was jovial and celebratory but also hid elements of social obligation. It was a public display of private wealth and political power. Feasts were arenas for pro-social combat which could result in death and an excuse to flex military might. They were secular events yet also deeply connected to religion. In addition, feasting is an excellent case study in food history. In this thesis, I will use two recent archaeological excavations at Hofstaðir and Hrísbrú—both of which reveal that the nature and role of food had changed by the end of the Viking Age—to explore changes in feasting customs in late Viking Age Iceland. Highlighting the ways in which Iceland’s sub-arctic environment served as a catalyst for larger socio-cultural changes.