The following excerpt from an article posted by Ancient Origins tells us about the exciting discovery of a Viking longhouse on Iceland from clues passed down in the Norse sagas of the period. (Ed.)
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SEPTEMBER, 2020 - 13:59 ASHLEY COWIE
Viking longhouse discovered on Iceland
In
2013 archaeologists in Iceland came across an ash pile which led to excavations
that began in 2017 at Arnarfjörður, near the church town Auðkúla in Iceland.
The ash pile led to the discovery of a 10th century farming settlement and over
the last three years the archaeologists have been unearthing the layers of
evidence. Now, at the end of the 2020 excavation season, an entire earthen
house and hut have been uncovered.
The
archaeological site at Arnarfjörður was identified in 2017 with the discovery
of an ash pile. In the summer of 2020, archaeologists excavated the 10th
century farming settlement. (Margrét Hallmundsdóttir / RUV)
Following
the Clues in Ancient Sagas
Written
in the first half of the 12th century, Landnámabók is
the oldest ever written source to have been discovered detailing the early
settlement of Iceland. This epic work of history presents a list of the
first Icelandic inhabitants and their families, including 3,000 proper names
and 1,400 place names. According to Landnámabók, the
earliest settler in Svínadalur was Eyvindur Audkúla, and around 1300
AD Kolbeinn Bjarnason Auðkýlingur became a Jarl (Earl). From these ancient
entries archaeologists have slowly uncovered what they believe is the early
10th century settlement mentioned in the saga.
According
to RUV, archaeologists in Iceland discovered an earth house in
which they found a large furnace with cracked rocks. In an adjacent hut
measuring 23 meters long, a traditional log fire was discovered. Back in
2019, the hut was found after a drill core
study and further survey ditches were created this summer. According
to Dr. Margrét Hallmundsdóttir, the archaeologist leading the study, the hut
is "very large, and the floor is
at least seventeen meters long.” Not only is another hut believed to be located
nearby, but an iron workshop, a cowshed and three further houses are expected
to be located within dig site that they were all connected with iron mining
over 1000 years ago.
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