VSF 2010 Report - Nabo

Trench 37
Around 20 m south-west of Area 14, uphill from the Viking Age area excavations, a
structure was identified by Ásta Hermannsdóttir during a survey of ruins in the homefield.
A GPS contour survey conducted by Óskar Gísli Sveinbjarnarson and Robert Milek
revealed the structure to be around 15 m long and 5 m wide, with clearly defined walls,
particularly towards the southern end of the
structure. A 1 x 2 m evaluation trench was
excavated towards this southern end of the
structure, across the eastern wall (see map
Figure 1). Below the aeolian soil, a reddish turf
wall [10040] was immediately visible, with the
Hekla 1693 tephra included within the turves.
This gave a terminus post quem date of 1693 to
the structure, and thoroughly dashed the
author’s hopes of finding a Viking Age cattle
byre or a second skáli! The inner edge of the
wall was clearly defined by a row of three large
stones (see photograph Figure 2). The western
portion of the trench was covered by a layer of
collapsed turf [10041] of the same colour and
composition as the turf of the eastern wall,
which probably relates either to the upslope
western wall of the structure, or to its roof. No
floor deposits were visible in the trench, and the
area to the west of the wall was extremely
disturbed through bioturbation by roots. After
the trench had been excavated, its location in
Figure 2. Wall of Early Modern cattle byre
in Trench 37
relation to the farm mound was measured by Garðar Guðmundsson and Ásta
Hermannsdóttir. The location of the structure was found to match with the location of a fjós
or cattle byre on a map of the farm dating to around 1920, suggesting that this building was
still in use in the early 20 th century.
[10040] Firm mid orangey-brown sandy silt with light brown patches and occasional
charcoal flecks. Bioturbation by roots. H1693 tephra within turves.
[10041] Firm mid orangey-brown sandy silt with occasional charcoal flecks and small
natural gravels. Significant bioturbation by roots. H1693 tephra within turves.
Trench 38
On the northern bank of the stream immediately to the south of Area 14 the stones of a wall
were seen to be eroding out of the bank. This section was cleaned in order to establish the
date of this building (see map Figure 1 and photograph Figure 3). Two rows of stones were
preserved [10048] with a layer of mid orangey brown turf collapse above with the Hekla
1693 tephra within the turves. As with the structure in Trench 37, this gives a terminus post
quem date of 1693 for the structure, which probably dates from the 17 th to 19 th century. The
turf collapse lay immediately below the aeolian topsoil. Below the wall the section was
stepped out around 40 cm in order to prevent the stones collapsing. The section below
showed natural topsoil and subsoil above the podsolised old land surface and natural beach
gravel. No further archaeological deposits were observed in the section, nor was the Hekla
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