Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.2000, Page 230

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
Summary
In 2001 archaeological excavations were carried out on the site of the farm of Reykjavík
— the settlement from which the modern city takes its name. Previous excavations have
revealed deposits and building remains from the Viking age in a substantial area of
downtown Reykavík, from Brattagata in the north to just south ofVonarstræti (see plan
on page 221). Archaeological investigations in the early 1970’s unearthed the remains ofa
small hall on the plot Aöalstræti 18.The 2001 excavations investigated the two adjacent
plots to the north, Aðalstræti 14 and 16, revealing the well-preserved remains of aViking
age hall, to which the smaller structure to the south now seems to have been a later
addition.
The hall was 16.7 m long and 3.74-5.81 m wide internally. Its walls were made of turf
with a stone facing, the long walls curving markedly towards the gable ends. A paved
entrance, 1.19 m wide, was located at the northeastern corner and a back-entrance in the
southwest corner, where the gable wall extends westwards to create a windbreak for the
door. In the centre of the house was a very large hearth, made of low upright slabs, its
long sides curving like the long walls of the house. Floor deposits survived best closest to
the hearth, along the central aisle of the house.The partial absence of floor layers towards
the walls is interpreted as evidence for wooden floors or platforms. Numerous postholes
suggest further partitions throughout the building, especially at the gable ends, and the
roof seems to have been supported by two rows of posts on either side of the central
aisle.
Artefacts retrieved from the Viking age layers include loom weights, spindle whorls,
knives, pumice, glass beads, iron slag and 3 complete, unworked walrus teeth.
The dating evidence includes a tephra layer from 871 +/- 2 AD within the turves of
the wall, and together with radiocarbon dates received so far, this suggests a building date
no later than 900-925 AD and abandonment somewhat prior to 1000 AD.
The 2001 excavation confirmed previous suggestions that fragments of a turf wall
seen in section just north of the long house do in fact predate the 871 +/- 2 AD tephra.
This wall — possibly a field boundary or pen - is the earliest man-made structure so far
discovered in Iceland.