Hólar in Hjaltadalur

Hólar in Hjaltadalur was the “capital” of north Iceland over the centuries. An episcopal see from 1106, it was an important centre of learning.
Extensive evidence of the history of Iceland and the Icelandic church is preserved in the ground at Hólar, as revealed by the Hólar Project.

Buildings differ by time and function. The Hólar Project has focussed on the farm site to the south of the cathedral. This included a printing house, kitchen, pantry and other structures. A building excavated beneath a medieval midden appears to have been a feasting hall of the bishops. Beneath it are layers of human habitation dating back to the settlement of Iceland around 900.

A large range of objects have been unearthed

In addition to providing clues to dating, unearthed objects also throw light on use of materials, crafts, trade and economic factors. Over 30,000 objects have been found at Hólar, dating from the middle ages to the 19th century. They include pottery, glass, clay pipes, stone utensils, knives, keys, toys, chessmen and a seal ring, as well as articles relating to clothing: buttons, beads, textile fragments, leather shoes and gold thread.

Finds at Kolkuós, the port of the bishops of Hólar

At Kolkuós sites have been uncovered of semi-permanent shelters or booths, warehouses and other manmade structures of the 10th to 14th centuries. These relics are steadily being washed away by the waves, and so the Hólar Project is in a race against time. A heathen (pre-Christian) burial mound has also been discovered. Objects unearthed include silver coins, combs, an anchor, whetstones, boat-nails, an iron cauldron, and the oldest ceramic shards found in Iceland. Animal bones from the oldest layers also indicate that exotic lapdogs were imported into Iceland.