Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2013, Page 116

HOWELL M. ROBERTS AND ELÍN ÓSK HREIÐARSDÓTTIR
be found amongst the 78 bones preserved
at the National Museum. Whilst the
preservation is incomplete, enough
remains to permit a few observations. One
of the horses was 10-12 years old, another
less than 5 years but the age of the third
one unknown. A jaw bone displays male
characteristics, as does a hip bone, and
one leg bone is suggestive of a fairly tall
animal. (Leifsson, 2012, 68).
Burial I - Horse burial
This feature, discovered by Adolf
Friðriksson in 2004, was semi-eroded
when found. The surviving feature
measures up to 1.8m in length and circa
lm in width, with stones in and over the
fill to the north. It contained only six horse
bones, of an animal at least 5 years old.
The burial had been disturbed in antiquity,
and was sealed by a tephra horizon from
1477. A disturbed covering of stone was
noted, especially at the north of the grave.
Burial II - Human, horse and
dog burial
Approximately 7.5m south-southeast of
Burial I, another elongated depression was
investigated by Adolf Friðriksson in 2004.
The removal of turf, topsoil, and the 1477
and 1300 tephra layers revealed an
apparently continuous cut feature some
3.5m in length and 0.90m in width. On
completion of the excavation two separate
features had been resolved (see figure 6).
The northem most of these measured up to
2.05m in length, 0.80m in width and
0.70m in depth. To the south, separated by
a gap of 0.1 lm was a second sub-circular
feature measuring circa lm in diameter
and up to 0.80m in depth.
The northem grave contained only
one adult human bone, and an iron ring.
The southem grave contained a small
collection of horse and dog bone, along
with two iron rings or buckles and 38
other assorted iron objects - fragments of
nails, bolts etc. The remains are
incomplete, but are of mature animals.
The artefacts may represent the remains
of a saddle and/or other riding gear. The
graves are interpreted as the disturbed
remains of a human burial (north) and a
horse/dog burial (south).
These features were re-examined in
2009, when the excavation was extended
to create a contiguous open area between
Burial II and Burial III. This process
revealed further complexity. The double
grave lay within an irregular shallow
truncation up to 0.20m in depth, and
several post-holes and possible post pads
were identified in proximity to the burial
(see figure 6). At a distance of 1.15m to
the north east of the northem grave is a
small post hole circa 0.15-0.20m in
diameter and 0.15m in depth. To the north
west of the northem grave is an oval post
hole 0.24-0.30m in diameter and 0.21m in
depth. To the south west of the southem
grave is a post hole measuring 0.30-0.42m
in diameter and 0.16m in depth. The axis
of the latter feature was inclines slightly
towards the grave, and the fill containing
packing stones. To the south east of the
southem grave was the fourth post hole,
measuring 0.25-0.33m in diameter and
circa 0.45m in depth. Flat stones on the
surface around the grave(s) may also have
served some supporting function. The
purpose of these feamres is enigmatic,
offering little in the way of obvious
114