Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2004, Page 103

Elín Ósk Hreiðarsdóttir
EXCAVATION IN KLAUFANES,
NORTHERN ICELAND
Introduction
In September 1940 Kristján Eldjárn
excavated a landnám skáli in Klaufanes
in Svarfaðardalur. This excavation
marked the beginning of Kristján's inde-
pendent career as an archaeologist
because it was the fírst excavation that he
initiated and directed.
The excavation in Klaufanes received
some attention at the time and has been
called "the first detailed excavation of an
Icelander that has withstood the test of
time".1
The main aim of the excavation in
Klaufanes was to corroborate the
Svarfdæla Saga and the excavation was
probably the last one done under strong
influences of antiqurianism in Iceland.
Eldjám concluded from his excava-
tion that he had found what was probably
the skáli of Klaufi, a character from the
Svarfdæla Saga. Later Eldjám retracted
this but until now, the excavation has not
been reviewed nor has it been assessed
how much of his interpretation of the site
in Klaufanes can be tmsted.
In this paper, the methods and con-
clusions of the excavation in Klaufanes
will be reviewed in the light of develop-
ments in archaeology in the last 60 years.
During the research for this paper, data
from the excavation was sought in the
National Museum. No finds from the
excavation were found nor Eldjám's
diary from the time. Only one drawing
was found of the skáli at the end of exca-
vation. This drawing was printed in
Eldjám's article about the excavation
which was published in Arbók hins ísl-
enzka fornleifafélags (Eldjárn 1943).
This review is mainly built on that article
and Kristján’s later writing on the exca-
vation.
Prelude to the excavation
Klaufanes is located in the innermost part
of westem side of Svarfaðardalur. The
mins that were excavated were by the
river Svarfaðardalsá, about 1 km closer
to the valley's bottom than the present
day farm in Klaufabrekku.
The place name Klaufanes is men-
tioned in Svarfdœla and described as the
farm of Klaufi Snækollsson. Klaufi is
described as a close relative to Þorsteinn
Svörfuður who is considered to be the
first settler of Svarfaðardalur. According
1 Magnússon, Þór. 1983, 10. Note that all translations are done by the author and are her responsibility.
Archaeologia Islandica 3 (2004) 101-111