Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2005, Page 78

James Taylor, Guðrún Alda Gísladóttir, Andrea Harðardóttir and Gavin Lucas
m wide. The deposits mainly consisted
of gravel spread and turf collapses. The
deposits excavated were clearly related
to the demolition or collapse of this part
of the structure, with layers of turf being
interspersed with the accumulation of silt
deposits. The fmds from all these layers
were characteristic of the date of aban-
donment, particularly the pottery.
Notably several iron rings, fittings, coal
and bricks are probably associated with a
cooking and/or heating appliance, were
found throughout the deposits, suggest-
ing that this room may be part of, or close
to, the kitchen. To the north of the site a
second, well defíned, room [1030] was
targeted for excavation. After removal of
most of the northem half of the post-
abandonment turf debris (mainly turf col-
lapse) in this area, a black, charcoal rich
bumt surface was revealed. This may
have been an occupation surface or per-
haps primary destmction associated with
buming. This room [1030] and much of
the centre of the site to the west of wall
[1032] was sealed by a band of loose
sandy silt which was heavily bio/cryotur-
bated and by sandy silt gravel. These
deposits appeared to represent the inter-
face between the archaeology and the
topsoil.
Across the site were several
large irregular peat ash filled pits. These
were mostly concentrated in a band
across the centre of the site. One pair, sit-
uated to the west of the site, appeared to
respect the boundaries of an underlying
room or space. The south-eastemmost pit
[1023] was c. 1.79 m east-west by c. 2.24
m north-south and was c. 0.75m deep.
The more elongated northwestem pit
[1024] was c. 1.39 m east-west by c. 4.30
m north-south and c. 0.6 m deep. These
pits were clearly associated as the pri-
mary fíll of all was a fírm bright red and
black charcoal rich bumt turf deposit.
The secondary fíll was a crumbly bright
pink peat ash dump, with orange lenses.
Asimilarly irregularpit [1014] was exca-
vated to the east of the site, filled with
peat ash deposit with dark blue/black
lenses. This pit was c. 3.9 m northwest-
southeast by c. 1.6 m northeast-south-
west. The function of these pits remains
unclear; however, it seems likely that the
bumt peat ash and turf which fílled them
was bumt in situ, suggesting that the
buming took place after the abandon-
ment and primary demolition phase of
the stmctures.
Finds from 2003 and 2004
The finds assemblage at this stage
appears to represent a rather high status
19th century farm (table 1). The largest
group is the pottery assemblage. It is
fairly remarkable in being dominated by
the more expensive products of the
whiteware market, and through the high
numbers of teawares; given the period of
the assemblage - i.e. c. 1800-1870, and
the location of the site, this is considered
unusual. Without more comparative
data, it is impossible to be conclusive,
but as a preliminary observation, it would
seem that the farm at Eyri was fairly
wealthy or at least aspiring, in terms of
its ceramic consumption. Pottery vessels
include bottles, jars, dishes, plates, cups,
saucers, teapots, lids and bowls. Other
material which indicates high status are
iron fragments from a stove; bricks, pipe
fragments and fittings, all from the same
loctation in area F, room [1029] and near-
by layers. Iron stoves were uncommon
in the countryside but well known in
towns in the 19th century (Finnbogason
1943:294-5). That might suggest that the
76