Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1994, Blaðsíða 47

KLAUSTUREYJAN Á SUNDUM
51
Dagbók Steinunnar Kristjánsdóttur. Sumarið 1994.
Dagbók Þórhalls Þráinssonar. Sumarið 1994.
Hlutateikning T95-1 af skósóla (V94-112).
Hreinteikning T93-24 af langeldi.
Hreinteikning T94-10 af mannvirki 39 og „norðurvegg".
Ljósmyndir V88-F19-8, V89-F16-28, V92-F3-11, V93-F26-32, V94-F7-26 og V94-F7-32.
Niðurstöður kolefnisaldursgreininga: Beta-79788 og Beta-79795. Greint af Beta Analytic Inc. í
Flórida. Leiðrétt af dr. Vilhjálmi Erni Vilhjálmssyni með leiðréttingaforritinu C.I.O.
Groningen, version 1995.
Niels Óskarsson. Efnagreiningar. Niðurstöður úr rannsóknum á sáum.
SUMMARY
It seems likely that there was some sort of human habitation on the island of Viðey, near
Reykjavík, right from the earliest phase of Iceland's recorded history down to the present
century.
During the most important period there was a monastery on the island, but there was
also traditional farming on the island at an earlier date, and a hospice was run there for sev-
eral decades after the end of the monastic period. Skúli Magnússon landfógeti (one of the
highest-ranking government officials) moved to Viðey in 1751. He had the house Viðeyjar-
stofa built shortly afterwards; the church dates from about 20 years later. Both buildings are
still in existence today. The island passed into the possession of the Danish crown for a time.
Magnús Stephensen konferensráð (a government official) bought Viðey early in the 19th cen-
tury, and it now belongs to the City of Reykjavík.
Archaeological excavations on Viðey have been in progress for nearly a decade. Parts of
the remains of a church, believed to date from the mediaeval period, have been studied, and
also a churchyard connected both with it and the present church. Parts of a passage farm-
house to the north of Viðeyjarstofa have been excavated: the passage itself and the living
quarters on both sides, including a living-room, pantry and a room with an enclosed oven.
The remains of a hall were found beneath the passage house. Fragments of walls found in
recent excavations seem to belong to other hitherto unidentified house remains.
Various analyses have been carried out in connection with the excavations. Bone analyses
have demonstrated that livestock kept on the island from the mediaeval period down to
modern times consisted mainly of cattle and sheep. Seafood also played an important role in
the diet of the inhabitants of the island. A pollen analysis carried out in 1992 indicated that
people were living on Viðey as early as the lOth century, and also that farming activity tliere
declined sharply shortly afterwards. A sudden change occurred in the vegetation in the 12th
century, and human activity on the island increased. This pattem lasted until the 20th century,
when farming was discontinued.
Many interesting artefacts and remains have come to light in the excavations, including a
runic tablet, vats and an open fireplace (langeldur). The runic tablet is very small and both
ends are broken. Runes are inscribed on three sides of the tablet, but it has proved very diffi-
cult to decipher them, with the exception of individual words without context. Eleven vats
and traces left by vats have been found in the pantry of the farmhouse on Viðey. Chemical
analysis has shown that they were used to store dairy products. The fireplace in the hall
closely resembles others dated to the first centuries of settlement in Iceland.
The Viðey excavations indicate that there were probably four main periods in the history
of the structures on the island. The hall marks the beginning of the first period in the lOth or
llth century. The mediaeval church ruins and the newly-discovered house remains belong