Longhouse and Pit Reconstruction

At the farm Stöð, located at the head of Stöðvarfjörður, ruins of buildings dating back to the very beginning of human settlement in Iceland have been discovered. Among these are two exceptionally large longhouses, the older of which measures approximately 44 meters in length.

In both of these ancient longhouses, there were long-fires (langeldar)—elongated hearths built into the floor near the center of the hall. These fires served as sources of heat and light, but were also used for cooking.

With the goal of preserving a portion of the local antiquities within the community, it was decided to move the hearth (the long-fire) from the older longhouse here to the village for display. According to law, all other artifacts found at Stöð are preserved at the National Museum of Iceland.

This longhouse also contained two utility pits. One of them was lined with stone slabs—placed both on the bottom and set on their edges—making it very unusual. These slabs were collected and placed into a new pit dug at the end of the long-fire, replicating its original position at Stöð.

It is not entirely known what this specific pit was used for, given that it was indoors and stone-lined. Other utility pits have been found at Stöð, but none were lined with stone. Like this one, however, they show signs of heating, possibly even for train oil (seal/whale oil) production.

It should be noted that while the stones are the original materials from the hearth and pit at Stöð, the display itself is a reconstruction. It was built using the original materials based on precise measurements and photographs.

Project Partners:

• Approval: The Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland, archaeologist Dr. Bjarni F. Einarsson, the municipality of Fjarðabyggð, and the landowners at Stöð.

• Funding: A grant from Sterkur Stöðvarfjörður (Strong Stöðvarfjörður), a regional development project by the Icelandic Regional Development Institute.

• Execution: Carried out by volunteers.