Skútustaðir

Part of: Iceland

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

Geographic Keywords
Republic of Iceland (Country) • Nordhurland Eystra (State / Territory) • Europe (Continent)

Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-3 of 3)

  • Midden Excavations at Skútustaðir N. Iceland, 2011 (2013)
    DOCUMENT Full-Text Megan Hicks. Adolf Fridriksson. Frank Feeley. George Hambrecht. Lilja Palsdottir. Gardar Gudmundsson. Magnús Á. Sigurgeirsson.

    Excavations have been ongoing at the N. Icelandic farm, Skútustaðir, since 2008 as an outgrowth of the Landscapes of Settlement project. The major objective of the 2011 excavation season at Skútustaðir was to complete the excavation of an already begun, large Trench, Area H (measuring 8.36 x 4 meters) by continuing the excavation down to the natural bedrock surface. This was completed by a four person team from CUNY and FSI directed by Adolf Friðrikson, with Francis Feeley, George Hambrecht and...

  • NORSEC SKU Interim Zooachaeological Report 2009 5.5.2010 (2010)
    DOCUMENT Full-Text Megan Hicks.

    The discovery of an intact midden at Skútustaðir’s historic farmstead in 2007 was a key finding for the planned investigation of the medieval and early modern periods in the lake Mývatn area of northern Iceland. The 2009 field season followed a soil coring survey and surface collection in 2007 and the excavation of four test trenches in 2008. Work was carried out by international team of archaeologists (hailing from the City University of New York (CUNY), North Atlantic Biocultural Organization...

  • SKU Database 4_1_2014 (2014)
    DATASET Megan Hicks.

    Access database