VSF 2010 Report - Nabo

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE ARCHAEOMETALLURGICAL RESIDUES
Thomas Birch
University of Aberdeen
Introduction
The survey and excavation of a Viking farmstead complex at Vatnsfjörður, in Ísafjarðardjúp,
is nearing completion this year (2011) since its beginning in 2003 by Fornleifastofnun Íslands
and members from the University of Aberdeen. The site spans from the tenth to the twentieth
centuries AD, being a chieftains seat from the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries (Milek
2008). This report is concerned with the archaeometallurgical residues recovered during
excavations on the Farm Mound and in the Viking Age part of the site. Structure 3 was
identified as a Viking Age smithy with its eastern wall abutted by a small oblong building
(Structure 6) which was probably a storage building. During fieldwork from seasons 2005 to
2009, a minimum of approximately 150 kg of metallurgical waste was recovered from
contexts in association with these structures, believed to be dated to the tenth century/Viking
period.
This report presents the results and observations made based on a macroscopic
assessment and scientific investigation of the assemblage carried out at Fornleifastofnun
Íslands (Reykjavik, Iceland) and the University of Aberdeen (Scotland, UK) in July and
August 2010. The main aims of the study were:
i) to confirm the identification of the slag remains and other metallurgical residues as
being related to ferrous metallurgy;
ii) to establish which metallurgical processes took place; smithing and/or smelting;
iii) to consider the possible presence of other pyrotechnical and non-ferrous metallurgy
processes on site, and
iv) to evaluate the potential for further research and analytical study of the assemblage.
This study followed the methodology for the identification and reporting of slag
outlined in the Archaeometallurgy guidelines published by English Heritage (Bayley et al.
2001) and the research framework proposed by the Historical Metallurgy Society (Bayley et
al. 2008). This report presents the observations and results of the assessment and scientific
investigation of the assemblage in order to contextualise the technological information
yielded from the different remains. A brief introduction into pre-industrial iron metallurgy is
provided relating to Viking Age and Early Medieval Iceland.
Viking Age and Early Medieval Iron Metallurgy in Iceland
With reference to Viking Age and Early Medieval sites, Fridriksson and Hermanns-
Audardóttir (1992) proposed a model for iron production in Iceland until its decline with the
collapse of the Catholic Church in the 1560s. They propose a model for the movement of iron
in Iceland, making conclusions about the trade and import of the material, with reference to
historical accounts. Smith (2005) furthered previous work by focusing on the socio-political
and economic context of iron production in Iceland. Using Háls as a case study, Smith has
made detailed suggestions about the scale of production and organisation. Whilst providing an
approximate overview of iron production and its role in Viking Age and Early Medieval
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