Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.2000, Page 138

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
Summary
In the summers of 1998-99 an archaeological excavation was conducted on the renrains
of a church and churchyard at the deserted farrn of Þórarinsstaðir in Seydisfjörður,
Eastern Iceland. The excavation revealed the remains of two phases of a timber church,
and sixty graves. The internal dimensions of the earlier church were 2.70m in width x
3.30m in length.The choir measured 1.50m on each side. In total the complete length of
the earlier church was thus 4.80m. This church burnt to the ground, and a new church
was raised upon its foundations, of the same plan but somewhat larger. The later church
was enlarged to the north and west, its internal dimensions being 4.0m in width and
4.20m in length.The choir measured 1.50m in width and 2.0m in length, giving a total
length of 6.20m.This church is the only example of a stave church with earthfast corner
posts that has been the subject of archaeological excavation in Iceland.
Many interesting finds have been discovered at Þórarinsstaðir, including three stone
crosses (one of which was the first complete example to be found in Iceland), two
weights, a bead, a silver finger-ring, a fragment of a silver coin, and part of an altar stone.
Wood samples recovered fronr the church indicate the presence of two types of wood -
lime tree (Tilia sp.) and umbrella pine (Pinus pinea) - that nright be renrains of church
artefacts or furnishings.
The remains at Þórarinsstaðir may be dated to 10.-13th centuries.The older church is
likely to have been erected/built soon after 1000 and the the later around the middle of
the llth century. The cemetery seems to have been in use prior to the erection of the
first church, as a nuniber of radiocarbon dates (see endnote 41) indicate burials from the
middle of the lOth century. The church was abandoned shortly before the end of the
12th century and the churchyard fell into disuse.
In this paper the remains at Þórarinsstaðir are discussed within the framework of
debate surrounding “Continuity of Cult” as applied to the christianization of
Scandinavia. The author is of the opinion that there are no clear signs that point to a
deliberate continuity of cult in the archaeology of Þórarinsstaðir. Neither church
building shows any sign of having been a pre-christian cult edifice, and none of the
graves in the churchyard seems to belong to the pre-christian tradition. The burial
customs at Þórarinsstaðir might be interpreted as indicating that there was not a great
difference between early Icelandic christianity and the practice of scandinavian pre-
christian religion. Christian practice was undoubtedly influenced by the varied and
mixed rites of scandinavian paganism, perhaps more unconciously than with purpose. It
might be meaningful to speak of a “mixed culture” instead of continuity of cult, but it is
just these indistinct boundaries between belief systems that may give rise to synchretism.
The written sources imply that the conversion should be seen as a dramatic change, but
perhaps it should rather be viewed as an evolution over time, and one that had already
begun already long before the settlement of Iceland among the social groups that later
undertook that settlement.