Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2002, Page 43

A Contribution To the Study of the Medieval Icelandic Farm: the Byre
Fig. 6: Plan of the byre Bergþórshvoll. After Kristján Eldjárn & Gísli Gestsson 1951.
Icelandic literature and it was interest in
the saga which led to the excavation of
the farm mound in 1927-1928. The
results of the excavation were not pub-
lished until 1952 and then only in sum-
mary form. The original excavation had
not revealed any traces of fire and in
1951 an additional trench was added to
the west of the main farm mound. The
mound is situated on a small rise in an
otherwise flat marshland close to the
south-coast. The 1951 trench revealed
much less building remains than the larg-
er area excavated in the 1920s.
Underneath a succession of three floor-
layers interpreted as dwellings a floor
bearing traces of fire was found. This
structure was identifíed as a byre. It was
divided into three aisles by wooden
posts. The central aisle was not paved but
was lower than the side-aisles. Along the
sides remains of stall-divisions were
found in the form of wooden stakes and
postholes. Some of the stall divisions
were indicated by depressions made by
rows of wooden stakes. Like other build-
ings at Bergþórshvoll this one was built
entirely of turf, but the farm is situated
far away from outcrops of stone. An
entranceway was on the westem gable
end and a possible doorway leading to
other, as yet unexcavated buildings,
could also be seen on the eastern gable
end. The roof supports and some of the
divisions between the stalls were made of
birch wood. The eastern part of the floor
was level but the westem part sloped
considerably so that the entrance on the
western gable was 0,8 m lower than the
eastern part of the floor. The structure
measured 14,2 x 4,2 m and was estimat-
ed to have sheltered about 30 heads of
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