Skútustaðir

Excavations at Skútustaðir, N. Iceland 2007 - 2013

Archived Data and Reports

Updated Megan Hicks, City University of New York, Ph.D. Program in Archaeology 3/31/14

Project Location

Latitude: 65.56585°N

Longitude: 17.03362°W

Today, Skútustaðir consists of a complex of modern farm buildings and a church atop a hill on the southern side of Lake Mývatn, Northern Iceland. The area is characterized by wet marshes (framengjar) and unique geological formations – small, cratered, cone-shaped hills called pseudocraters. The natural hill upon which Skútustaðir sits, is augmented by a farm mound (an accumulation of cultural material) originating in the Viking age (817-930 CE). Skútustaðir is well known as a historic site to archaeologists, local residents and scholars of Icelandic sagas, but its archaeological potential was tested for the first time in 2007. It was excavated in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 with a focus on the middens, areas used historically for refuse disposal. The information archived here pertains to the excavations and the later analysis of both archaeofaunal remains and some notes on artifacts. A report of the excavations from each year is included as well as the most recent database. However, the anaylsis of artifacts and animal bones is still underway.

The zooarchaeological data is archived here. The analysis and encoding of the archaeofaunal data was carried out according to the NABONE zooarchaeological recording package (Nabohome.org)

Additional information may be archived with the following institutions

City University of New York

Fornleifastofnun Islands