Search Project Results: Iceland

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	Myrkárdalur	The highland site at Myrkárdalur contains several ruins, and the early farm ruin is clearly visible: several rooms are connected through a central corridor, reminiscent of medieval houses from Greenland. A landslide in the 14th Century destroyed part of the farm and the occupants were forced to move further west, where several more recent ruins are located (sources cited in Hreiðarsd. 2008:178). Myrkárdalur was abandoned in 1955 and the land has since been used by the nearest farm, Myrkárbakki. Midden trenching at different locations in 2008 and 2009 has resulted in a small amount of faunal remains and artefacts, dating the contents to the 17th/18th centuries in trench 1 and the 16th/17th centuries in trench 2.
	Möðruvellir í Hórgárdal	Möðruvellir is located in Hörgárdal, Eyjafjörður, Northern Iceland. The site lies on open lowland pasture, to the north of the river Hörgá, some 13 kilometres north of the modern City of Akureyri. Möðruvellir is situated only a short distance from the delta of the Hörgá, and may be regarded as being within a coastal environment. Möðruvellir has been a site of considerable importance throughout Icelandic history. It has been the site of a church since at least the second half of the 12th Century (Vésteinsson, 2001:10), and Möðruvellir was established as a House of Canons at the end of the 13th Century. These religious activities were supported by the produce of a large and important farming estate. Previous research at Möðruvellir: Archaeological and historical research regarding the farm was undertaken as early as the 19th Century, by Kristian Kaalund (Vésteinsson, 2001:7). A kuml (burial mound) was unearthed in the 19th Century and therefore it is safe to assume that the area was settled (at least that people were buried there) before the year 1000 AD (Vesteinsson, 2001:10). In 1985, Guðmundur Ólafsson of the National Museum of Iceland surveyed the area, and produced a list of archaeological sites. Fornleifastofnun Íslands activity at Gásir: - 2001 – Orri Vésteinsson, Expanded archaeological survey and site registration. Including a summary of Möðruvellir´s history (Vésteinsson, 2001). - 2004 – Howell Roberts & Orri Vésteinsson, Excavation of trenches in the boundary at Möðruvellir Farm, in advance of construction work (Roberts, 2004). - 2005 - Howell Roberts, excavation of an evaluation trench in the churchyard; investigative work prior to planned ground works for central heating and path construction (Roberts, 2005) The ceramics and glass objects found during the 2006 (TR1), 2007 (TR1), and 2008 (TR2,TR2b) were analyzed by Gavin Lucas (Lucas 2010) and place the most recent layers in this very deeply stratified midden mound into the 18/19th centuries. Lower deposits are hoped to be dated through C14 analysis and may thus provide proof for a long site-occupation as indicated by written sources.
	Vígðalaug, Árnessýsla	Archaeological investigation was requested before Vígðalaug (consecrated pool) was repaired before the celebration of the 1000 year anniversary of Christianity in Iceland.
	Hofstaðir	The Hofstaðir project aimed at re-excavating and re-evaluating Viking Age remains previously investigated in 1908. This project was the flag-ship project for the Landscape of Settlements project.
	Neðri Ás	The aim of the project was to excavate an alleged graveyard and church ruin in Neðri-Ás. According to written sources this is supposed to be one of the oldest churches in Iceland.
	Nes við Seltjörn	In 1994 the Seltjarnarnes council decided to have archaeological evaluations carried out around the old farm of Nes in Seltjarnarnes. The old farm now houses museums and the area around it is an outdoor activity area for the public. Bones have previously been uncovered close to the farm mound. All this, among other things, has raised interest in the archaeology of the area.
	Glerá	The Glerá project started when human bones were accidentally uncovered in a gravel mine close to the farm mound in Glerá in 1998. Later members of the institute were asked to visit the site several times when a grave mound was demolished and more bones came to light.
	Þingvallakirkja	Archaeological investigations have been carried out a couple of times next to Þingvellir church at the request of the Þingvellir National Park committee. The aim of the first one in 1999 was to look for clues about the predecessors of the modern church, but according to written sources the earliest church in this location was erected in the 16th century. Furthermore, the excavations were to shed light on possible earlier churches and get an idea about the preservation of organic material and tephra layers. The second investigation was carried out in 2006 when the access when it was considered necessary to dig close to the foundations of the church.
	Laufás	A trench was excavated along the passage floor in the upstanding farm of Laufás prior to the construction of new heating pipes under the floor.
	Vatnsfjörður	The excavation in Vatnsfjörður forms a part of a larger project called Vestfirðir á miðöldum/The Westfjords in the middle ages. The Westfjords have somewhat been neglected in Icelandic archaeology up to this point. The overall aim of the project is to add to knowledge about this important part of the country and shed some light on its economy. Research at Vatnsfjörður is a multidisciplinary investigation of the rise and decline of the chieftain´s seat at Vatnsfjörður, and the relationship between this farm´s evolution and the evolution of its surrounding landscape. The project aims to explain why this apparently infertile farm in the Westfjords was chosen as a seat of power, what factors and social processes enabled it to flourish as a social, economic and cultural powerhouse between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, and why the importance of the farm declined after the seventeenth century.