In the middle of Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavík, the remains of a large Viking Age longhouse were unexpectedly discovered during excavations this summer. Actually, only the traces of a farm from the end of the 18th century should be explored on a plot of land in Lkjargata.
However, the archaeologists came across the walls of the more than 20-metre-long and 5.5-metre-wide house from the first centuries of Iceland’s settlement. Since the rest of the building extended onto another piece of land (as do todays modern buildings) and is therefore probably not preserved, the exact original length cannot, in all likelihood, be determined.
In any case, the longhouse now found is larger than a 10-century longhouse discovered just a few hundred yards west of it, which is now part of the Reykjavík 871 +/- 2 exhibit. The new find changes our view of the early history of the area of today’s Reykjavík. Apparently, many more people lived here in the Viking Age than previously thought.
The longhouse, which has now been discovered by chance, also stands out from comparable finds in the rest of the country: its fireplace, which is more than five metres long, is the largest that has ever been found in Iceland. Numerous objects were also recovered from the excavation site, including several spindle whorls, various whetstones imported from Norway, and a silver ring. An exact dating of the building is still pending and will now be made after the excavation has been completed.
It is still unclear what will happen next with the site. A hotel is to be built on the site where there was previously a parking lot. This would irretrievably destroy the remains of the longhouse. However, there is a high probability that this is exactly what will happen. However, there are considerations for preserving at least the extraordinarily large hearth of the house in some form and making it accessible for viewing.
