Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.2007, Page 189

Summary
In 2001, as a result of planned construction, an archaeological excavation took place
in the old town centre of Reykjavík. Previous excavations and observations in the area
indicated the precence of remains from the Viking age and later periods. Among the
remains unearthed during this excavation was a 10th century hall, presented in the 2000-
2001 volume of Árbók hins íslenzka fornleifafélags. The town authorities decided to
preserve the hall ruin beneath the new buildings, and during the preparation for the work
in 2003, it was decided that additional areas would need to be excavated, i.e., a strip of
land beneath the modern pavement next to the hall. Thus exposing an addition at the
eastern side of the hall, ca 3 x 2.5 m, built about the same time as the hall, but seemingly
added on to it. The building material was the same as in the hall, stone and turf, and the
turf contained a tephra layer dated to 871 +/- 2 A.D. It is not altogether unknown that
Viking age hall buildings excavated in Iceland have “entrance buildings”, but we do not
have many examples of it. This lack of such buildings, may possibly be due, in part, to
preservation and/or excavation techniques. Similar additions are also known e.g. in Viking
age Denmark.
188 ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS