Greenland 2007 Field Season - Preliminary Report (field report)

Summary

This is a preliminary report of archaeological field work in the Vatnahverfi region

of the Norse Eastern Settlement. The Danish Middle Ages & Renaissance

Department at The Danish National Museum and the Greenland National

Museum and Archives (NKA) collaborated with the Northern Science and

Education Center at City University of New York (NORSEC/CUNY) to complete

an archaeological project in Southwestern Greenland, in the Qaqortoq

Municipality. The work was completed between July 18

th

and August 21

st

2007.

The project’s main mission was to excavate Norse churchyards (Ø78 and Ø64) in

order to determine the time of use of the small Greenlandic churches and their

churchyards, by collection of datable material and bone samples for DNA and

isotopic studies conducted by Dr. Jette Arneborg. The 2007 field season

connected the Churches, Christianity and Chieftains project with the Vatnahverfi

Settlement project. The responsibility for sondage trenches at several Norse

farms were shared by both CUNY and the Danish National Museum. This

preliminary report only describes the work done as a part of midden prospecting

(the trenches) and omits all the work on the churchyards. All documentation

produced; including photographs, plans, drawings, registers, GPS and coring

data, is on file with The Middle Ages and Renaissance Dep. of the Danish

National Museum. Field director for the project was Niels Algreen Møller

assisted by Konrad Śmiarowski, Christian Koch Madsen, Poul Baltzer Heide,

Lousie Felding, Louise Johansen and helpful and kind people of Greenland.

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Konrad Śmiarowski

File Information