Midden Investigations at Höftagerði N Iceland, 2002

Summary

During the 2002 season of the Landscapes of Settlement Project

(directed by Fornleifastofnun ĺslands with the NABO cooperative) we carried out

coring and test trenching to attempt to localize midden deposits at the site of

Höftagerði on the property of Núpar on the lower Laxá River. The site comprises

a set of impressive boundary walls, a number of detached structures (A-D)

scattered across the S E face of a bluff overlooking the Laxá, and a small farm

mound (J) near a modern summer house to the south of the other ruins (w

0388862, utm 7314019, elevation 23 m above sea level, site pH 6.0-6.25). The

northern ruins appear to be very early, with occupation beginning shortly after the

LNL. They also appear to be briefly occupied, with only 5-10 cm of cultural

deposit around them. The farm mound deposits are much thicker, and corings

demonstrated up to 80 cm of stratified cultural deposit in the margins of the farm

mound area. A 1 x 3 m test trench (L) was dug on top of one of the deeper cores,

and encountered multiple layers of peat ash, charcoal, non-diagnostic artifacts,

and some animal bone. However, it became apparent that this deposit was

mainly ash overlying an earlier phase turf structure. No in situ tephra were

observed, and the excavated material is undated. Excavation was stopped at this

point to avoid damaging the structural remains. There is definitely midden

material around the farm mound, and the site appears to have considerable

promise for further work.

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