The Faroe Islands were colonised earlier than believed and it wasn't by the Vikings, a study said. 'Vikings' are pictured at a Shetland festival . The Faroe Islands were colonised much earlier than previously believed, and it wasn’t by the Vikings, a study has found. New archaeological evidence places human colonisation in the 4th to 6th centuries AD, at least 300 to 500 years earlier than when the Norse colonists arrived on the remote islands. Historians have said that the identity of the first settlers remains unknown, but they could have been hermit monks from Scotland or Ireland. The research challenges the nature, scale and timing of human settlement of the wider North Atlantic region and has implications for the colonisation of similar island groups across the world. It has long been thought that Vikings were the first settlers in the 9th Century on the windy islands, which are situated between the North Atlantic Ocean and Norwegian Sea. Archaeologists at Durham University studied a site at Á Sondum on the island of Sandoy and found an extensive windblown sand deposit . containing patches of burnt peat ash from human activity, dating human . settlement to pre-Viking times. These ash spreads contained barley grains that were burnt in domestic hearths and were then spread . by humans onto the windblown sand surface between the 4th and 6th centuries . and between the 6th and 8th centuries, a common practice identified in the North . Atlantic during this period to control wind erosion. The discovery signifies that the settlers were established on the islands and must have grown and processed barley and used peat to cook. It has long been thought that Vikings were the first settlers in the 9th Century on the windy islands, which are situated between the North Atlantic Ocean and Norwegian Sea. Pictured is Koltur Island from Streymoy Island, part of the Faroe Islands. The research, directed by Dr Mike Church from Durham University and Símun Arge from the National Museum . of the Faroe Islands, is published in the Quaternary Science Reviews. Lead author Dr Church said: 'There is now firm archaeological evidence . for the human colonisation of the Faroes by people some 300 to 500 years . before the large scale Viking colonisation of the 9th century AD, . although we don’t yet know who these people were or where they came from. 'The majority of archaeological evidence for this early colonisation is likely to have been destroyed by the major Viking invasion, explaining the lack of proof found in the Faroes for the earlier settlement. 'This also raises questions about the timing of human activity on other islands systems where similarly evidence may have been destroyed.' Dr Church told The Independent the first settlers on the islands could have been Christian hermit monks called 'anchorites' from Ireland or Scotland. The theory is supported Irish monk Dicul, who wrote in the year 825 that hermit monks from Ireland were livng on islands far north of Britain before the Vikings, although he did not explicitly name the Faroe Islands. Dr Church from Durham University said the first settlers on the islands could have been Christian hermit monks from Ireland or Scotland. He thinks the settlers would probably have lived in the sheltered bays (unlike the hilly cliffs pictured) in the same locations where the Vikings built their longhouses . Dr Church said the settlers would probably have lived in the sheltered bays found on the islands in the same locations where the Vikings built their longhouses. Consequently little evidence of the earlier settlers is likely to be found, but the archaeologists believe the anonymous people living in the bleak location in the 4th to 6th centuries AD must have been able to build boats and navigate the surrounding seas. The study said the Faroes were the first stepping . stone beyond Shetland for the dispersal of European people across the . North Atlantic that culminated on the shores of continental North . America in the 11th century AD, about 500 years before Columbus made his . famous voyage. Co-author, Mr  Arge from the National Museum of the Faroe Islands, said: 'Although . we don’t know who the people were that settled here and where they came . from, it is clear that they did prepare peat for use, by cutting, . drying and burning it which indicates they must have stayed here for . some time. 'We now have . to digest these dates of this early evidence in relation to other . sources and consider whether there may be other similar sites, elsewhere . on the islands, which may be able to provide us with further structural . archaeological evidence.'
New evidence places human .
colonisation of islands around 5th century AD - between 300 to 500 years .
earlier than when Norse colonists arrived .
Archaeologist from the University of Durham said the first settlers are unknown but could have been hermit monks from Scotland or Ireland .
The majority of archaeological evidence for this early colonisation is likely to have been destroyed by the major Viking invasion .
The Faroe Islands were colonised earlier than believed and it wasn't by the Vikings, a study said. 'Vikings' are pictured at a Shetland festival . The Faroe Islands were colonised much earlier than previously believed, and it wasn’t by the Vikings, a study has found. New archaeological evidence places human colonisation in the 4th to 6th centuries AD, at least 300 to 500 years earlier than when the Norse colonists arrived on the remote islands. Historians have said that the identity of the first settlers remains unknown, but they could have been hermit monks from Scotland or Ireland. The research challenges the nature, scale and timing of human settlement of the wider North Atlantic region and has implications for the colonisation of similar island groups across the world. It has long been thought that Vikings were the first settlers in the 9th Century on the windy islands, which are situated between the North Atlantic Ocean and Norwegian Sea. Archaeologists at Durham University studied a site at Á Sondum on the island of Sandoy and found an extensive windblown sand deposit . containing patches of burnt peat ash from human activity, dating human . settlement to pre-Viking times. These ash spreads contained barley grains that were burnt in domestic hearths and were then spread . by humans onto the windblown sand surface between the 4th and 6th centuries . and between the 6th and 8th centuries, a common practice identified in the North . Atlantic during this period to control wind erosion. The discovery signifies that the settlers were established on the islands and must have grown and processed barley and used peat to cook. It has long been thought that Vikings were the first settlers in the 9th Century on the windy islands, which are situated between the North Atlantic Ocean and Norwegian Sea. Pictured is Koltur Island from Streymoy Island, part of the Faroe Islands. The research, directed by Dr Mike Church from Durham University and Símun Arge from the National Museum . of the Faroe Islands, is published in the Quaternary Science Reviews. Lead author Dr Church said: 'There is now firm archaeological evidence . for the human colonisation of the Faroes by people some 300 to 500 years . before the large scale Viking colonisation of the 9th century AD, . although we don’t yet know who these people were or where they came from. 'The majority of archaeological evidence for this early colonisation is likely to have been destroyed by the major Viking invasion, explaining the lack of proof found in the Faroes for the earlier settlement. 'This also raises questions about the timing of human activity on other islands systems where similarly evidence may have been destroyed.' Dr Church told The Independent the first settlers on the islands could have been Christian hermit monks called 'anchorites' from Ireland or Scotland. The theory is supported Irish monk Dicul, who wrote in the year 825 that hermit monks from Ireland were livng on islands far north of Britain before the Vikings, although he did not explicitly name the Faroe Islands. Dr Church from Durham University said the first settlers on the islands could have been Christian hermit monks from Ireland or Scotland. He thinks the settlers would probably have lived in the sheltered bays (unlike the hilly cliffs pictured) in the same locations where the Vikings built their longhouses . Dr Church said the settlers would probably have lived in the sheltered bays found on the islands in the same locations where the Vikings built their longhouses. Consequently little evidence of the earlier settlers is likely to be found, but the archaeologists believe the anonymous people living in the bleak location in the 4th to 6th centuries AD must have been able to build boats and navigate the surrounding seas. The study said the Faroes were the first stepping . stone beyond Shetland for the dispersal of European people across the . North Atlantic that culminated on the shores of continental North . America in the 11th century AD, about 500 years before Columbus made his . famous voyage. Co-author, Mr  Arge from the National Museum of the Faroe Islands, said: 'Although . we don’t know who the people were that settled here and where they came . from, it is clear that they did prepare peat for use, by cutting, . drying and burning it which indicates they must have stayed here for . some time. 'We now have . to digest these dates of this early evidence in relation to other . sources and consider whether there may be other similar sites, elsewhere . on the islands, which may be able to provide us with further structural . archaeological evidence.'
archaeological evidence places human colonisation 500 years earlier than when the Norse colonists remains unknown, but they could have been hermit monks from Scotland or Ireland. The research they came from. 'The majority of archaeological evidence for this early colonisation is likely to have been destroyed by the major Viking invasion, said the first settlers on the islands could have