Archaeologists talk
Archaeologist Margrét Hrönn Hallmundardóttir talks to visitors about bog iron processing in Iceland in connection with the exhibition From Mire to Metal, which is located in the Corner on the 2nd floor. At the same time archaeologists from the National Museum, Ármann Guðmundsson and Hrönn Konráðsdóttir will talk to visitors at the exhibition Saga of Hofstaðir, Unearthing the Past in North Iceland. The exhibition explores the archaeological finds and research at Hofstaðir in the district of Lake Mývatn, north Iceland. All are welcome. The admission is free on Culture Night.
At 2pm - 4pm. The Corner. National Museum of Iceland
Archaeologist Margrét Hrönn Hallmundardóttir talks to visitors about bog iron processing in Iceland in connection with the exhibition From Mire to Metal. Margrét has for years managed archaeological excavations in Arnarfjörður in the West Fjords and she has, among other things, conducted research on ancient bloomery furnaces.
From settlement and into the Middle Ages, Icelanders extracted iron from bogs. Much has been lost about this ancient craft and it is still not fully understood how the iron smelting was done. How was bog iron processed? How were bloomery furnaces constructed, isolated, and ignited? What quality of iron could be produced from Icelandic bog iron?
The exhibition is developed in collaboration with Hurstwic LLC and Eiríksstaðir, where bloomery experiments were conducted in 2019.
At 2pm - 4pm. Arch Hall. National Museum of Iceland
Ármann Guðmundsson and Hrönn Konráðsdóttir, archaeologists at the National Museum of Iceland, talk to visitors about archaeological excavations that have been carried out at Hofstaðir in the district of Lake Mývatn, north Iceland, for years.
What has been found at Hofstaðir? Was the hall at Hofstaðir a place of worship, a place to throw a party or both? What kind of research has been conducted at Hofstaðir? What have we learned?
The site includes remains from the Viking Age to the 20th century. A huge Viking Age structure was excavated: a hall or longhouse that is one of the largest structures ever excavated in Iceland. Hundreds of people have been involved in the archaeological project at Hofstaðir and elsewhere in the vicinity of Lake Mývatn. The result is extremely informative and the exhibition presents the multifaceted process of archaeological research.
The exhibition is a joint project of the The Institute of Archaeology of Iceland and the National Museum of Iceland.