Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2010, Síða 88

VÉRONIQUE FORBES, ALLISON BAIN, GUÐRÚN ALDA GÍSLADÓTTIR AND KAREN B. MILEK
buildings. Thus, there is a dearth of data to
allow detailed interpretations about the
daily lives of the people that lived in
Iceland in the recent past.
Archaeological investigations on
the farm mound at Vatnsfjörður
Archaeological investigations undertak-
en at the site of Vatnsíjörður from 2003
to 2009 have unearthed a Viking Age
dwelling house, a smithy, storage build-
ings, animal buildings, and outdoor cook-
ing pits and hearths (Edvardsson &
McGovem 2005; Friðriksson et al. 2005;
Milek 2007, 2008 & 2009). According to
documentary sources, it is clear that
Vatnsfjörður was an important and pros-
perous church farm, the seat of chieftains,
and a political centre of influence from at
least the 12^ century onwards (see
Helgadóttir 1987; Sigurðsson 2003;
Sigurjónsson 1975; Thorsson 1988). By
the 16“ century, even though the region-
al power centre had shifted to the nearby
farm of Ögur, Vatnsfjörður remained an
important farm and a parish church until
the late 20^ century (Edvardsson &
McGovem 2005, 17).
At Vatnsijörður, the location of the
turf habitation buildings shifted south-
wards in the ll^1 or 12^ century and
thereafter remained in the same general
location for the following eight centuries,
resulting in the creation of a large farm
mound ca. 100 metres south of the Viking
Age part of the site (Fig. 2). Such farm
mounds are created by an accumulation
of cultural material (house foundations,
demolition debris, household refuse and
other waste) derived from successive
occupations of the same place by genera-
tions of people (Gísladóttir & Ævarsson
2007, 43). Ongoing open area excava-
tions targeting the 1884-1906 turf house
on top of the farm mound at Vatnsförður
began in 2006. The removal of a series of
post-abandonment layers including dem-
olition debris and midden deposits
revealed a series of walls, intemal floor
deposits, two substantial pavements and
two cellars (Ævarsson & Gísladóttir
V10000
A
anÍOJLt, 'oMm/, aX^
i óHé-Jij*,'
2.
3 tsRlakíw* tuvituú
4 CJtUAVlAÍwlUc*
6 tíjwi
7 ytntá*j
8
9 -
10 ÓjJ/ÓaA
11
12
13
14
is JKjíOUU/
15 lífoJt-íuLv*.
17 ■'iMmTlvloj
18 at|AVClll oAo 41
19 &
20
Figure 3. Homefield map of Vatnsjjörður
created in 1913 (Landmœlingar Islands). The
remains of the last turf dwelling house
correspond to number 5 on the drawing.
86