The Midden at Möðruvellir, 2007 Preliminary Excavation Report

Between July 31st and August 10th 2007, staff from Fornleifastofnun Íslands continued excavation of an evaluation trench begun in the summer of 2006. This aimed at investigating the nature and preservation of faunal remains at the so-called Ash Hill (Öskuhóll) at Möðruvellir, in Hörgárbyggð, Eyjafjörður.

As in 2006, the key aim of this effort was to locate and recover animal bones, artefacts, and environmental samples from a well stratified midden sequence at Möðruvellir, in connection with ongoing archaeological work investigating local subsistence strategies in late medieval Eyjafjord.

The trench was extended and deepened, chiefly addressing very deep early modern deposits in the western part of the trench.
This work was initiated by Fornleifastofnun Íslands and funded by Fornleifasjóður. The project was directed by Howell Roberts. Field work was supervised by Ramona Harrison and Howell Roberts, assisted by Meghan Markey and Christine Forrestal.
This work was undertaken in collaboration with RALA (the Agricultural Research Institute at Möðruvellir), and with Minjasafnið á Akureyri (the Akureyri Museum).

The author would like to thank Dr. Thomas H. McGovern and Dr. Sophia Perdikaris from CUNY (New York) for their continuous support and advice, and particularly the staff from FSÍ for their generous help and friendship. Special thanks go to Meghan Markey and Christine Forrestal for their tireless sieving work.

Eyjafjörður Hörgárdalur midden Möðruvellir Öskuhóll

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