Möðruvellir in Hörgárdalur, N. Iceland: General Overview of the Archaeofauna Analyzed from the 2006-08 Midden Mound Excavations

This report presents results on zooarchaeological analysis from the Möðruvellir Midden Mound, or Öskuhóll, adjacent to the site’s extensive farm mound. Möðruvellir, likely a chieftain’s farm during the Settlement period, became House of Canons/Augustinian Monastery in the late 13th C, and remained an important ecclesiastical center even after the Reformation. Beyond functioning as religious institution, it served as seat for the regional governor for the Danish Crown at least during the Early Modern Period, and also operated a practical secondary school from the later 1870s on (Karlsson 2000:258). Möðruvellir is still inhabited by the local priest, masses are still held, and among other things the estate is home to an Experimental Station of the Agricultural University in Iceland.

The Möðruvellir faunal collections include materials from the 13th to the 19th/20th c. Excavations on the Möðruvellir Ash Mound (Öskuhóll) were undertaken between 2006-08 and concentrated mainly on the contents of one large trench, TR1 and two smaller ones, TR2 and TR2b. The latter will be combined into TR2/2b as they are almost in identical place and produced materials from the same time period. While an attempt has been made by the author to present the available faunal data as thoroughly as possible, more analytical work including written resources, chemical analysis, inclusion of material culture analysis and context-activity association where possible is planned.

Archaeofauna church Eyjafjörður Hörgárdalur Iceland Möðruvellir Öskuhóll zooarchaeology

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