Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2013, Page 124

HOWELL M. ROBERTS AND ELÍN ÓSK HREIÐARSDÓTTIR
both included small quantities of charcoal,
and occasional small packing stones.
Connected to the grave cut was a
fiarther feature believed to be a post setting
[212]. This feature measures up to 0.30m
in width, at least 0.42m in length and
0.45m in total depth. Its fill contained
small quantities of charcoal and stone.
Opposing feature [212] was a further post
hole [214] measuring up to 0.28m in
diameter and 0.37m in depth. Post hole
[214] had an axis inclined to the west, and
a fill including charcoal and a few packing
stones. To the south of grave cut [216], but
still within cut [190] were two stake holes,
features [187] and [189]. Both measured
0.10-0.12m in diameter and circa 0.05m in
depth.
Burial V - Double (?) horse burial
Immediately to the north of the boat
(Burial III) a horse grave was excavated
in 2008. Burial V was an irregular oval in
shape and measured 1.5 - 2.5m in
diameter and up to 0.48m in depth, with
steep concave sides and a concave base.
The feature had been disturbed in
antiquity, prior to the fall of the 1477
tephra horizon. The fills contained
numerous horse bones, the remains of at
least two mature individuals. Several
horse bones, along with stones from the
fill, had been spread beyond the north
westem limit of the grave. In addition, a
single human bone was recovered at the
southern edge of this feature. No
artefacts were found in Burial V.
Burial VI - Horse burial
Burial VI, excavated in 2009, is another
complex grave. At the north is a sub-oval
cut feature measuring 1.55m in length,
1.05m in width and up to 0.64m in depth,
containing horse bones. The latter feature
is however part of a larger negative
feature with a total length of circa 3.70m,
and variably 0.22-0.36m in depth. Several
further irregular cut features are both
within and without the larger cut, possibly
representing post-settings or perhaps stone
throws (see figure 12). The purpose of
these is unclear. These features showed
little sign of disturbance in antiquity,
although the nature of the bone finds
indicates otherwise (below). A broad, low
mound of físt sized stones was
encountered adjacent to the grave at the
west.
The northem part of Burial VI
contained the greater part of a horse
skeleton (missing the femurs) wholly
disarticulated but without any cut marks
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