Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1994, Page 24

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
Summary
The Reykjavík City Museum (Arbæjarsafn) carried out an excavation in the old centre of
Reykjavík in summer 1993, when modifications were being made to Arnarhóll, a grassy
mound capped by a statue of the first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson. The first records of a farm
on Arnarhóll dated from the 16th century. It was given to the monastery on Viðey in 1534,
and later became the property of the Danish crown. A prison was built on the home-field in
1759-64, after which income from the farm ran to the prison. The farm was occupied until
1828, when the farmhouse was pulled down. The statue of Ingólfur Arnarson was put up in
1923-24.
Initially, the intention was simply to monitor the work being done on the site, but it soon
revealed the existence of remains which called for proper excavation. It was known that vari-
ous old structures had been built on the site: there were remains of the main road to Reykja-
vík, another farm (Arnarhólskot) and an early-19th century fort (Batteríið). On the western
part of the site, where no excavation was carried out, the modification work revealed
remains of a wall running north-south. A volcanic ash deposit, believed to date from 1220
and lying above these remains, indicates their age.
The excavations were carried out in an area measuring 10 x 16 m on the eastern part of
the mound, where it had been decided to lower the ground level as part of the modifications.
They revealed the remains of two structures. The upper one was a sheep-fold or enclosure,
which had been damaged in the construction work done in 1923-24. Below it were remains of
the Arnarhóll farm: two farmhouses and a paved passage were found in the excavation.
These remains probably dated from the 18th century, and had also been damaged consider-
ably by later construction work. Only the upper level of the remains was excavated, and the
lower level remains untouched. Many artefacts were recovered, including fragments of pot-
tery, glass and metal, some coins, two of which lay in floor layers, dated 1727 and 1734,
buckles, buttons, lace-eyes for bodices, net needles, line sinkers, a whetstone and net floats.
A Roman coin was found in the remains, but may have been placed there during the excava-
tion.
Only a part of the farmhouses was studied in this excavation, and only the upper layers.
Further studies of the farm will have to wait.