Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1979, Page 67

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
S-45 Viðarkol úr jarðhúsi II, af botni ofnsins.
S-46 Viðarkol úr jarðhúsi II, af gólfi.
S-47 Viðarkol af gólfi í smiðju II.
Önnursýni
S-2
S-3
S-8
S-9
S-13
S.16
S-1,8
S-44
S-48
S-49
S-50—51
S-52
S-53
Steinn, gulleitur og mjúkur, úr nyrðri langvegg'.
Gjall eða grjót af skálagólfi.
Brunnin bein af skálagólfi .
Tönn úr litlu dýri, úr bæjardyrum.
Brunnin bein, af hlaði.
„Ruslablettir“ yfir ofni í jarðhúsi I.
Gjall úr smiðju I.
Rauðbrúnn blettur undir hellum í jarðhúsi II.
G.jall úr smiðju TI.
Gólfskán úi' jarðhúsi II.
Brunnin bein.
Tönn úr stórgrip.
Mýrari'auði úr mýrunum fyrir neðan fjallið Kúluhyrnu.
AiJis.: Höfundur vill láta þess getið að númer aftast í myndatextum vísa til
negatíva í Þjóðminjasafni.
SUMMARY
A Viking Age site excavated in western Iceland
During the years 1977—78 a Viking Age site was excavated at Hratfnseyri
(Eyri) in Arnarfjörður, western Iceland. The excavation was carried out under
the auspices of the National Museum of Iceland and led by the author of this
report. Tlie site is situated on a very low plain near the shore of the fjord. In
all pi'obability this is the place where the first settlers at Hrafnseyri built their
home. For some reason the site may have proved disadvantageous and conse-
quently been abandoned in favour of a more suitable place somewhat higher up.
Houses and other ti'aces of human activity are vaguely visible on an aerial
photo, Fig. 2, in this publication marked as I—XIX. Only those of them which
seem to be the most important ones have so far been investigated. They are as
follows:
I. Hall (skáli). This is the main building, the farmhouse proper, the living
quarters, an oblong house, the walls built entirely of t,urf. (The same applies to
all other structures on the site). The hall is 13.40 m long and 5.40 m wide in the
middle, but somewhat narrower towards the ends. In one end of the hall there
are impressions of small wooden vessels, a fact whic.h indicates that this part
of the building may have served as a dairy. Along both long walls there are
low and relatively wide benches (seí) or sleeping bunks, as well as an elevation
at the other end (pallr?). An impressive hearth (langeldr) is in the middle of
the floor. The entrance is on the front (south) wall, near the west gable. —• All
considered the hall fits well into the picture of an Icelandic Viking Age hall,
already well established through previous exacavations, although admittedly
not among the biggest ones.