Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1983, Side 42

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
tcphra over thc area. As a rcsult no irregularities indiacting the burial field below could
be seen on the surface. The situation is however favourable for dating by tephrochrono-
logy. Old ruins, possibly of a Viking age farm, are located somewhat farther away from
the field than the present farm but have not yet been excavated.
The first investigation at Hrífunes took place in 1958 when a grave of a horse was exca-
vatcd. The horse had been peculiarly placed. Stoncs had been laid out surrounding an
oblong space, 4.75 m long and 1.25 m wide in the middle, turning WSW-ENE. In the
midst of this space was thc grave of the horse, almost elliptical in form, 1 x 1.50 m in
size and almost I m deep. At the bottom of the grave was the skeleton of the horse and
it had clearly not been behcaded. Bridle-bits were in the mouth and a strap buckle was
also found ln the grave.
In the year 1978 some more bones came to light in the river bank. They were sent to
the National Museum for examination and turned out to be of an infant, but the grave
itself was washed away by the river before it could be examincd.
In 1980 yct another grave appearcd in the bank and was examined the following year.
Thc grave itself was 50-60 cm deep, about 1.70 m long and 75 cm wide, curved at both
ends. The long axis was parallel with the riverbank, roughly E-W. The bones were scat-
tcred about and seemingly the grave had been plundcred early on. Thc bones found were
badly preserved but provcd to be of a male. The gravegoods consisted of weights made of
lead (7 pieces), ftre steel and pieces of jaspis (fire stones). The gravegoods also seem to point
to a male.
In thc year 1982 two more graves wcre discovered at Hrífunes and they were examined
in the autumn of the samc ycar. One of them, a grave of a horse, was locatcd furthest
east in the area. Thc grave was elliptical, about 1.10 x 2.20 m in size and 70-80 cm deep.
The overlying mound had been covered with stones. The skeleton of the horse rested
almost on the back with the forepart facing north. The horse had been beheaded and the
head was placed behind thc horses neck. Bridle-bits were in the mouth and deformed
rusted lumps most probably from a saddle were also in the grave.
The other grave was that of a female. The grave was orientated almost N-S with the
head facing north. The grave was about 1.40 m long and 80 cm wide and 90-95 cm deep.
Thc woman had been laid on thc lcft side with clenchcd feet, the left arm falling down
by the side but the right one clenched at the elbow. Over the gravc were two layers of
stones, the lowcr one consisted of freshly looking lava slabs, most probably from a lava
which was newly flowed when the burial took place, but thc upper layer consisted of
waterworn stones from the river. The gravegoods consisted of 11 glassheads by the wo-
mans neck. Of them nine are blue, three are triple, three doublc and three single. Two
glassbcads are heavily oxidizcd and have turncd grcy. A rusted knife was also found in
the grave.
Since the burial field at Hrífunes lies in an area wherc tephra layers are abundant in thc
soil, an attempt was made to date the graves by tephrochronology. Two tephra layers
turned out to be important for the dating. The older of the two, Landnámslag or Settle-
ment layer, was most likcly dcpositcd around 900 A.D. (Einarsson 1962, Thorarinsson
1968). Thc deposition of the younger layer, originally called E-1 (Thorarinsson 1958),
took place during the lOth century Eldgjá cruption (Larsen 1979), now thought to have
taken place in 934 ± 2 ycars A.D. (Hammer et al. 1980, Thorarinsson 1982).
For four of thc five gravcs, terminus post quem is the Scttlement layer, which was the
uppcrmost distinct tcphfa layer through which thc graves had bcen dug. Tcrminus antc