Reykjavik 871±2

The Settlement Exhibition

Useful Information

photography — The Settlement Exhibition Reykjavík 871±2, Aðalstræti 16, Reykjavík. Public Domain.

Location:	Reykjavik
Open:	All year daily 9-18. Guided Tour: JUN to AUG Mon-Sat 11. [2020]
Fee:	Adults ISK 1,740, Children (0-17) free, Disabled free, Students ISK 1,120. [2020]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Reykjavik City Museum, The Settlement Exhibition, Aðalstræti 16, 101 Reykjavík, Tel: +354-411-6370. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

930–1000	settlement inhabited.
2001	settlement excavated.

Description

The Settlement Exhibition Reykjavík 871±2 is part of the Reykjavik City Museum is an underground museum, and as such listed here. On display are the country’s oldest ruins, which have only recently been unearthed. When the construction of a new hotel started at this place, very old foundations were discovered and the build was put on hold. Archaeological teams started an excavation and discovered relics dating back to Iceland’s very first settlers. A C14 test, a geophysical method for age determination, resulted in an age of 871±2 AD, hence the name of the excavation.

The first settlement was covered by a tephra layer deposited in a volcanic eruption. The remains of a farmstead were preserved until the hotel started. After the excavations the building was completed above the excavation, which is now protected by the whole building.