Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.2007, Page 51

ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS50
Summary
A rescue excavation of a church ruin and cemetery was undertaken in 1985 at Kirkjuból
in Skutulsfjörður near the town of Ísafjörður in northwestern Iceland. The area is a source
for gravel which was needed for roadwork in the area. Such “gravel mining” prompted
the archaeological investigation discussed here.
The farm of Kirkjuból may have its origins in the settlement period, and there had
been a church there probably from the 14th to the 18th centuries. The farm site itself had
been damaged or destroyed before this investigation.
Dating of the archaeological remains was difficult for several reasons, there are
no volcanic tephra-layers in the area and a typology had not (and still has not) been
established for of Icelandic church buildings. The latest church seemed to have been c 8 x
4 m (measured inside). The walls of turf and stone were 225-250 cm thick on three sides,
but the western gable had been of timber only. The remains of a timber floor were also
present. Layers of peat ash and hay inside the ruin indicate a later use of the church for
living quarters or storage. The southern wall was the best preserved. The northern side of
the building was more damaged. A stone floor represents an older phase of the church, at
that time it seems to have been about 7 x 4 m, and also had turf walls. This phase could
probably be divided into more sub-phases. Beneath the stone floor at least six post holes
were found, there may have been more. These represent a timber church, c 4.5 x 2.3 m
with a small chancel, c 1.25 x 2 m. The wooden church seemed to have had two phases,
the earlier with earthfast posts and the later with posts on postpads.
For various reasons, few Icelandic churchyards have been investigated. Since this
excavation, a number of investigations have taken place and now provide comparative
analysis for Kirkjuból. The churchyard was more or less rectangular and 900 m² The
walls around it were built of turf and stone and had obviously been rebuilt a number of
times. Their maximum height preserved was close to a meter. There was an opening on
the northern side, towards the area where the farm houses had been situated.
The gravel layer beneath the churchyard was up to 10 metres thick and quite hard,
the graves were dug down into this layer. As a result, the uppermost soil could be cleaned
away with machines under supervision. In all 37 graves were found, none west of the
church. One grave was found under the stone floor in the church, and 10 under the turf
walls, so they could be seen to belong to the first phases. The bones were badly preserved
or totally decomposed in 33 of the graves. Upon the request of local authorities, most of
the bones that could be recovered were later reburied in the cemetery of Ísafjörður. Four
skeletons were taken to the National Museum. In 21 graves remains of coffins could be
seen. Some coffin nails were found in the graves, but no other artifacts. No remains of
clothing were seen. Many of the graves were shallow, it was quite common that they were
dug half a metre down into the gravel, which means that they had been about 1 metre
deep under the surface. All graves were laid out in a roughly east-west direction. In two
graves the head had been towards the east. The number of graves seemed rather small, and
the excavator suggests that the burials may belong to the pre-reformation times.
After the rescue investigation a study was made of all written sources that could be
found about the farm and church. Little is known about the earlier history of Kirkjuból.
It seems probable that there was a church or chapel there as early as 1286, the earliest
inventory for the church is dated to 1333. A detailed description of the church exists from
1700, it is mentioned again in 1709, Finally, in a document from 1734 it is said to be in
bad condition and that it had not been used for services for 20 years.