Hrísheimar 2004, Interim Report (field report)

The excavations at Hrísheimar have now been in progress for four years. The focus of
the work for the first two years was more on surveying and test trenching for assessment
than large scale excavation. In 2003 and 2004 the work increased with the opening of two
large excavation areas.
In 2003 there were two main excavation areas; one was approximately 60 m west of
the farm mound; the other was just by the farm mound on its eastern side. The areas were
individually sub-divided and each was given an area code. The area west of the farm
mound was given codes A, B and C while the other area contained codes H and L. A
large trench was cut in an easterly direction from area L and was given the code Q.
The 2003 season identified an iron ore processing and iron-producing site in areas A–
C. The number of furnaces, 19 small and 2 large, indicate that iron was being produced
on a large scale and probably over a long period of time. In area H a sunken feature
building was partially excavated and in area L well stratified midden deposits were
excavated. (Edvardsson, R. et al., 2003)
In 2004, work in areas H and L continued. The main aim of the was to fully
excavate the sunken feature building in area H and continue exposing and excavating the
midden deposits. Other objectives were to obtain a better understanding of the
relationship of the thick midden deposits sampled in 2003 in area L with the tephra layers
observed in the lower end of the long Q trench, especially the Landnám sequence and the
early-mid 10
th
c. Veiðivötn grey-green tephra. Also to understand the relationships
between the midden deposits overlying (and underlying) the multipl turf structures and
wall lines that had appeared in the 2003 L-trench.
The Hrísheimar field school and excavation were led by Ragnar Edvardsson (Graduate
Center, CUNY), as well as being led by such other academics as Thomas H. McGovern
(Hunter College, CUNY) who was in charge of the midden excavation, Colleen Batey
(FSÍ/Glasgow University) and Ian Simpson (Stirling University).