Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2013, Page 87

THE SVALBARÐ PROJECT
Figure 7. Þorvaldsstaðasel, the shieling site alongside Þorvaldsstaðaá. Camera facing SW.
was decided to examine the site further in
2010. The mound is about 15 m in
diameter and has an ambiguous ruin
complex on its summit, 14x6 m in size.
Three trenches were excavated in
Þorvaldsstaðasel, two in the mound (A
on the eastem part, B on the westem part)
and one in the pen (C).
A series of deposits related to the
activity on the site was revealed. Three
tephra layers were visually identified in
situ, the prehistoric H3, H1300 and
VI477. The earliest phases underlie the
H1300 tephra and miscellaneous activity
continued through the years, probably
into the 19th century. Repetitive phases
of occupation (peat ash, wood ash,
charcoal and mottled deposits)
altemating with sand and aeolian silt
suggest a pattem of episodic seasonal
occupation. Deposits revealed in the
delimited trenches allow division to
following phases:
I. Phase 7-1300. Peat ash deposit with
burnt bones reflects some kind of
household activity on the site.
II. Phase 1300-1477. Ongoing
activity. Mottled deposits with charcoal
traces.
III. Phase 1477-1700. Small stmcture
erected. The structure has at least two
building phases, which is represented by
the rebuilding of the southem wall. One
major floor group was detected in the
earlier phase and three in the later, total
30 cm of floor accumulation. A hearth
was located in the same place in both
phases of the structure. The stmcture
(both phases) indicate size of ca. 2 m
north-south and not more than 3 m east -
west (no floor deposits were revealed in
trench A). The usage of the stmcture
extended at least into the 17th century as
a pipe bowl from latter half of the 17th
century was found in one of the
uppermost deposits.
IV. Phase ca.1700-1900. The
undulating, blocky surface on the mound
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