2016-08-25 Thu

In northwest Iceland, at Skagafjordur, archaeologists have been working for the past 20 year around the city of Keflavik. A 1000 CE church, a circular churchyard and 45 graves were found at the site when Iceland converted to Christianity. In 1104 CE, the Hekla volcano erupted, turning the whole country into ash.

The area was known for the agricultural regions, sheep and dairy farming as well as horse breeding. Many historical events that contributed to Iceland’s social and political development, took place in this area.

Just below any surface within the valleys, structures built by the earliest settlers can be found. One of the most famous sites is Glaumbaer, in Skagafjordur where the first European was born on the American continent. A bone pin with an animal head and a silver coin have also been unearthed. The coin is similar to coins of Nordic countries with unique features though.

In 2 years, a Christian graveyard, a pagan cemetery, and the Viking-Age village were developed. These sites provide a lot of evidence and information about Iceland’s earliest history which lacks written records.

The habitation of Iceland started in 874 CE, when Ingólfr Arnarson, a Norwegian chieftain settled here. Later, Norwegians, and some other Scandinavians, settled in Iceland from Gaelic origin. Papar (Celtic monks) of the Hiberno-Scottish mission, settled in Iceland before the Scandinavians. Ruins of a cabin on the Reykjanes peninsula suggest that it was abandoned between 770 CE and 880 CE.