Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2005, Page 71

Eyri in Skutulsfjörður
Figure 1. Map of the area. The square includes the investigation area.
tlement (Landnám) period. However, at
this stage, there is little physical evidence
to support this. The chronology of the
earliest occupation layers will undoubt-
edly be established as the archaeological
work on the site proceeds. Skutulsfjörður
is first mentioned in The Book of
Settlement (Landnámabok) but no men-
tion is made of settlement in the area
(íslensk fomrit I 1968:187). However,
by the time the old Icelandic Saga, Gísla
saga Súrssonar, was written (dated to the
13th century), Eyri is a known farm in
Skutulsfjörður (íslensk fornrit VI
1943:XLI, 25). Eyri is well situated on a
flat peninsula with a good view over the
surrounding area, both sea and land (Þór
1984:31). A church was probably estab-
lished soon after the Christianization of
Iceland and it is listed in the church reg-
istration that was made around the year
1200 (íslenskt fombréfasafn XII 1923-
1932:14). It is not clear whose property
Eyri was in early times but probably both
the church and the farm early on became
part of the diocese of Skálholt. The old-
est charter about the church at Eyri (a
documentation of the church properties)
is from the year 1286 (íslenskt fombréfa-
safn II 1893:260). In later times Eyri is
mainly mentioned in charters (íslenskt
fombréfasafn IV 1897:140) and docu-
ments from commune ministers that were
held at Eyri until 17th century (Þór
69