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| Parent name: | Myvatn Landscapes Project |
| Project Details | |
| Title: | Skútustađir Excavation |
| Permalink: | http://www.nabohome.org/cgi-bin/explore.pl?seq=3 -17.03362 65.56585 |
| Abstract: | Skutustadir is an active farm and hotel center on the south side of Lake Myvatn. It figures in sagas as the home of "Killer Skuta", an early chieftain, and historically was one of two parish church centers in the Myvatn area and has remained one of the most prosperous farms down to modern times. In 2007 Dr. Arni Einarsson of the nearby Myvatn Science Center noticed animal bones and charcoal eroding from previously unsuspected midden deposits south of the present farm dwellings. Follow up work by collaborating FSI and NABO teams (led by Orri Vesteinsson, Agusta Edwald, Tom McGovern, George Hambrecht, Ian Simpson and Astrid Ogilive) in 2007 and 2008 has revealed a deeply stratified set of midden deposits with excellent organic preservation. Test trenches in 2008 have allowed for collection of ecofacts and artefacts datable by a combination of tephra and AMS C14 from first settlement (cultural deposits are directly upon the AD 871+/-2 Landnam tephra) down to the late 19th c. Analysis is still in preliminary stages and a much larger excavation is planned for 2009-10, but initial results suggest some significant changes in economy through time, including a surprisingly substantial amount of seal bones deposited post-1477 (Skutustadir is about 60 km from the sea). For updates contact Tom McGovern at nabo@voicenet.com |
| Keywords: | Skutustadir,Iceland,Zooarchaeology |
| Sponsors/Funders: | US National Science Foundation (both Arctic Social Sciences and HSD) |
| RANNIS | |
| CUNY | |
| Country: | Iceland |
| Project Start Year: | 2007 |
| Account Owner | |
| Contact: | Thomas H McGovern |
| Postal Address: | Dept Anthropology
Hunter College CUNY 695 Park Ave New York NY 10021 |
| Post Code: | 10021 |
| Telephone: | 001 2152970373 |
| Email: | nabo@voicenet.com |
Project Content
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Photo of profile of Unit D at Skutustadir [2.25 MB] Photo of profile of Unit D at Skutustadir, two tephra horizons (1717 and 1477) are present in this section. Photo Agusta Edwald 2008 |
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Excavations at Skútustađir, Mývatn Northern Iceland: Preliminary Field Report After the Excavation Season June – July 2010 [5.73 MB] In 2007 a joint FSÍ/CUNY NABO team, conducting a coring and test trenching survey, visited Skútustađir following the discovery of a patch of eroding midden, noted by Árni Einarsson ( of the Mývatn Research Station). Investigations in 2008, lead by Agusta Edwald and Thomas H. McGovern, followed up on the 2007 results with a set of test trenches. The three 2008 test units (D, E1&2, and F) located midden deposits with excellent organic preservation and multiple tephra horizons. Artifacts recovered and tephra observed in area D indicate that the deposits sampled date from ca. 1717-1477, E1 & 2 have an early Viking Age deposit directly upon the Landnám surface, and F revealed a very rich early modern midden deposit and an unexpected structural wall. The 2009 season saw a major expansion of the area D unit into two connected larger units G (13 sq m) and H (20 sq m). Unit G was carried-out down to lava bedrock, revealing an exceptionally productive Viking Age midden deposit packed into the natural fissures and crevices. Large artifact and eco-fact collections were recovered from the early modern and Viking age deposits, with excellent conditions of preservation throughout. |
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Working register October 2008 [0.51 MB] This is a working register which we are using both as a digital backup/ equivalent for the paper site files and a way to share C14 and phasing information as the analysis progresses. The C14 and matrix data here supplement and update some of the statements made in the preliminary report. We will update this file as the analysis progresses. Contact Tom McGovern nabo@voicenet.com for updates. |
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Working spreadsheet with digital versions of the site - December 2008 [0.51 MB] This is a working spreadsheet with digital versions of the site registers and annotated profiles with the dating evidence and the working Harris matrix for the excavation areas. This will be updated regularly. Comments and suggestions on format very welcome. Contact Tom McGovern nabo@voicenet.com |
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Initial Field Report: Skútustađir Midden Investigations
, Mývatn, Northern Iceland 2008 [5.68 MB] This is the initial post-season report, it will be updated (we now have tephra and C14 dating and some initial bones analysis done). Contact Tom McGovern nabo@voicenet.com |
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chenwei_test [2.23 MB] test |
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Initial Field Report for the 2009 Skútustađir Midden Investigations, Mývatn, Northern Iceland. |
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Skútustađir: An Interim Zooarchaeological Report following the 2009 Field Season. This NORSEC report presents the initial findings of zooarchaeological work carried out since the 2009 field season at Skútustađir, Mývatn, Iceland. |
Project Location
Latitude: 65.56585°N