Greenland 2007 Field Season - Preliminary Report (field report)

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.