Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 2014, Page 49

ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS48
Ragnhildur Bergþórsdóttir, fædd 27.03.1928. Ragnhildur bjó í Þorpinu 1928-
1943. Viðtal 8. febrúar 2011.
Sóknarmanntöl í Viðey 1907-1943, varðveitt á Þjóðskjalasafni Íslands.
Svavar Skúlason, fæddur 17.11.1928. Svavar bjó í Þorpinu 1929-1941. Viðtal tekið
26. janúar 2011.
Yfirlit um málasafn Þórðar Björnssonar frá 1954. Varðveitt í Einkaskjalasafni
Þjóðskjalasafns Reykjavíkur.
Örlygur Hálfdánarson, fæddur 21.12.1929. Örlygur bjó í Þorpinu 1929-1941.
Viðtal 2. mars 2011.
Örlygur Hálfdánarson, tölvupóstur frá 16. júní 2014.
Örvar B. Eiríksson. 2003. „Nú er orðið fátt í Viðeyjarsókn“: Þorpið í Viðey 1907–1943.
Óútgefin BA ritgerð í sagnfræði. Háskóli Íslands.
Summary
The village in Viðey
This paper presents the results of research conducted on an early 20th-century,
abandoned fishing village, which was built during the initial industrialization of
fishing in Iceland. The village was situated on the eastern coast of the island of
Viðey, just north of Reykjavík in the bay; and it was founded in 1907 as part of a
private commercial enterprise. The project used documentary sources, interviews
with former inhabitants, archaeological survey and excavation to develop a deeper
understanding of both daily life in the village and the wider connections of the village
to the modernization of Iceland. In particular, a substantial assemblage of early 20th-
century finds was recovered from five test trenches from middens associated with
various house foundations. The finds included building materials, household items
(especially connected to foodways) and personal objects, such as dress items and
toys. The latter are particularly relevant in connection to the interviewed informants
who were all children at the time. The project reveals the potential not only for
archaeology to contribute to a broader understanding of the development of Iceland
as a commodity-based society, but also its role in reuniting people with forgotten
and lost pasts.