Fornleifarannsóknir á Hofstöðum í Mývatnssveit 1991-1992 - Forkönnun (Preliminary Excavations at Hofstaðir 1991-2)

In 1991 and 1992 preliminary investigations were carried out at Hofstaðir near Mývatn in NE-Iceland. The aim was to find dating evidence for the famous long-house, previously excavated in 1908, to determine whether it represents the only phase of building at the site and to throw light on its function. After detailed surface mapping of the site in 1991 a 22x1 m trench was excavated through the northern end of the long-house and through adjacent remains on its western side which had been imperfectly understood in the previous investigation.

A suite of tephra layers was observed both above and below the archaeological remains which show that all evidence of human occupation at the site occurs between the depostition of the Landnám tephra in AD 871±2 and that of the H1 tephra in AD 1104. The floor of the long house was dug down into the subsoil and is represented by a double layer of pitch-black homogeneous material. A pit full of charcoal and iron-slag in the floor suggests that iron working took place in the long-house, which in turn, along with the small numbers of every-day objects recovered in this and the previous excavation, suggests that the long-house was a domestic structure.

Remains of a small building adjacent to the long-house on the western side were observed as well as a wall of a detached structure further to the west. Cultural layers were also observed beneath these structures indicating that the long house is neither the only nor the earliest structure at the site. A number of animal bones were recovered in a remarkably good condition.