Jökull - 01.12.1988, Page 10

younger that the other samples presented in this
paper. Fig. 6 below shows this point separated from
other dates of shells in Table II. It should be handled
with care until more samples with radiocarbon dates
of this age are found in southem Iceland.
Lu-2399 Other dated shells from Table II
—n---------1-------—t-
9000 9250 9500 9750 10000
Years BP
Fig. 6. Plot of14 C dates of shells in Table II.
Mynd 6. Aldursgreiningar skelja í Töflu II.
On the east bank of Sog, just upstream from this
locality, at the confluence of Búrfellslækur is a well
known shell locality. It has been reported by Jakobs-
son (1966).
ODDGEIRSHÓLAR (Lu-2596)
North of the farm of Oddgeirshólar, opposite to
the farm Amarbæli on the north bank of the river
Hvítá (Fig. 7), there is a small outcrop of silty sedi-
ments. They are exposed in the channel of the Hvítá
river, at c. 25 m a.s.l. This locality was first
described by Kjartansson (1943). A number of mol-
lusc species were sampled (Table IV). A radiocar-
bon dating gave the value of 10.075+90 BP (Table
II: Lu-2596). This is the oldest radiocarbon date as
yet obtained for shells from southem Iceland; it is
slightly older than Lu-2406 discussed below. The
two are the only radiocarbon dates in south Iceland
from the Younger Dryas Chronozone.
Shells are also found on the opposite side of the
river, east of the Amarbæli farm.
VILLINGAHOLTSHREPPUR (Lu-2597, Lu-2600)
Shells are found at several localities in the Vil-
lingaholtshreppur district. In a small gravel pit west
of Lake Villingaholtsvatn, near the Vatnsendi farm,
a deposit of stratiíied, poorly sorted sand and gravel
is exposed below the present soil horizon. The expo-
sure is about 30 m a.s.l. This is probably a littoral
deposit, related to the postglacial marine regression.
In the southem part of the gravel pit, 1 m long and
0.5 m thick lensoid bed of pumice rich sand, with
Fig. 7. Location of the Oddgeirshólar shell-bearing
layers.
Mynd 7. Skeljafundarstaðirnir í Hvítá hjá Odd-
geirshólum.
abundant shell fragments, is exposed below the soil
horizon (Table IV). The shell fragments constitute
up to 20% of the bulk volume of the lensoid bed. A
radiocarbon dating of a sample gave the value of
9.475+90 BP (Table II: Lu-2597).
At the Hróarsholtslækur brook, near the farm of
Lækur is a small outcrop at c. 35 m a.s.l. Here sand
is found between the postglacial Þjórsárhraun lava
and a hillock of older rock. The sand is stratified and
unconsolidated. It contains shell fragments (Table
IV) and is probably a littoral deposit. A radiocarbon
dating of a mollusc sample gave the value of
9.695+70 BP (Table II: Lu-2600).
RAUÐALÆKUR (Lu-2405, Lu-2598)
The Rauðalækur riverlet is at the westemmost
part of the great Rangárvellir sandur (Fig. 8). This
sandur has been related to the final deglaciation of
the Southem Lowlands (Kjartansson, 1943). Its age
has never been established by radiocarbon datings.
In the banks of the Rauðalækur riverlet, near the vil-
lage of Rauðalækur, are a number of outcrops where
8 JÖKULL, No. 38, 1988