Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.2011, Síða 166
HVALVEIÐAR ÚTLENDINGA Á 17. ÖLD 165
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Summary
The project „Foreign Whaling in the 17th century“ began in 2005 and since
then has revealed intensive remains of a large-scale whaling industry in Stran-
dasýsla from the 17th century. This research is a cooperative effort by the
University of Iceland´s Research Centre of the Westfjords, Strandagaldur and
Náttúrustofa Vestfjarða. The project was funded from different sources but the
main contributor has been the Icelandic Archaeological Research Fund.
The main focus of the research was a 17th century whaling station on a
small peninsula called Strákatangi in Steingrímsfjörður. A number of archaeo-
logical remains, dating from the settlement period to the 17th century, have
been identified and excavated on this small peninsula. The most important
archaeological remains are a large whaling station dating to the 17th century
but two pagan graves dating to the settlement period have also been excavated.
The whaling station consists of five buildings; a cooparage, crew quarters, two
tryworks and a storage.
According to the Icelandic written sources foreign whalers appeared
in the waters around Iceland between 1608 and 1610. The same written
sources suggest that the whalers were predominantly Basques from northern
Spain and southern France but later other nationalities, especially Dutch and
English, are mentioned. The archaeological research at Strákatangi showed
that the whaling station had two occupational phases. The earlier phase con-
sists of a trywork made of stones and small booth like structures. The later
phase consists of a large brick made trywork and permanent houses made
of timber and bricks. The stone made trywork is in many ways similar to