Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2009, Page 28

Þóra Pétursdóttir
Type of grave goods No. of graves Type of grave goods No. of graves
Horses 115 Sickles 4
Spear heads 57 Arm rings 4
Knives 54 Spindle whorls 4
Beads 42 Bells 3
Saddle remains 41 Finger rings 3
Whetstones 29 Forging tools 3
Axes 24 Fish hooks and line sinkers 3
Bridles 23 Gaming pieces 3
Oval brooches 23 Pendants 3
Weights and scales 21 Tongue-shaped brooches 2
Dogs 21 Penannular brooches 2
Combs 19 Iron spits 2
Textile fragments 17 Arrow heads 2
Swords 17 Belt buckles and strap ends 2
Strike-a-lights 14 Weaving implements 2
Shield bosses 14 Bone pins 2
Cauldrons and vessels 9 Crampons 1
Ringed pins 8 Horse crampons 1
Disc brooches 8 Buttons 1
Shears 8 Hobbles 1
Chests and keys 7 Sword chapes 1
Trefoil brooches 6 Quernstones 1
Table 1. Grave goods documented in Pre-Christian graves in Iceland. (Based on Eldjárn 2000,
301—302, 596-597; Friðriksson pers.comm., 12.3.2007)
Less common is to fmd graves with only
one single item while a few graves also
outdo the average in terms of ftimishing
(Eldjám 2000, 301-304). Listed in the
table above are the various types of arte-
facts or animals found in Icelandic graves
as well as the number of graves they have
been found in.
Considering these numbers it is inter-
esting to recall that Icelandic graves have
often been defmed as homogenous, as
relatively few categories can be defmed
as common while a far larger proportion
are uncommon and even occur in four
graves or less.
The arrangement of grave goods in the
grave has often been much disturbed
when archaeologists arrive at the site.
This is because most pre-Christian graves
have been discovered through some sort
of disturbance or construction and not
through systematic survey or research.
However, it can be stated that the deposi-
tion and arrangement followed certain
traditions (Eldjárn 2000, 306). Weapons,
such as swords, spears and axes, usually
lie beside the dead with blades down
towards the foot end. Shields were gener-
ally placed over the deceased’s head.
Knifes, along with smaller items like
whetstones, strike-a-lights, combs or
weights are often found by the person’s
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