Hofsstadir - Remains of a Viking longhouse

In 1994 important archaeological excavations commenced in Garðabær, insouthwest Iceland. Excavations unearthed the remains of a longhouse of the Viking Age, the second-largest ever found in Iceland. Dating from the late 9th century, the longhouse indicates the scale on which the first settlers lived. Research has thrown useful light on the life and work of the first Icelanders.

The longhouse at Hofsstaðir is about thirty metres by eight metres on the outside, and the floor area is about 170 sq mtrs. This was the household of a farmer on a large scale. A total of about 300 items were unearthed at Hofsstaðir. Probably the most remarkable is a fine round bronze brooch in the Jelling style. About one-third of the finds are metal objects such as nails, slag from iron smelting, knives and scissors from the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries.

The identity of those who built the longhouse is not known for sure, although it provides considerable information on its inhabitants. The size of the building indicates that it may have housed 20 to 30 people including slaves and labourers. Hofsstaðir is within the region originally claimed by Ingólfur Arnarson, Iceland’s first settler, who arrived in Iceland around 874 AD. At the new history park at Hofsstaðir, visitors can experience an interesting, extensive and entertaining multimedia presentation which includes three-dimensional reconstructions of the longhouse and items found during the excavations. A large variety of information is presented in audiovisual form.