Midden Investigations at Höftagerði N Iceland, 2002

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.