Skálholt: Excavations of a Bishop’s Residence and School c.1650-1790 – Volume 3: The Ecofacts and Synthesis

Skálholt is one of Iceland’s most important historical sites. It was the country’s first episcopal see and for centuries served as a centre of ecclesiastical administration, culture and governance.

This is the third and final volume presenting the findings of extensive archaeological investigations carried out at Skálholt between 2002 and 2007.

The volume explores in detail the organic remains recovered during the excavations, including plant remains, insects, animal bones and fish bones. The analysis of this material sheds light on diet, farming practices, the local environment and the everyday lives of those who lived and worked at Skálholt.

The book also brings together the findings of the entire research project, synthesising the material presented across all three volumes. It examines different aspects of life at the site and places Skálholt within its wider social and historical context.

Taken together, the three Skálholt volumes offer a unique insight into the lives, material culture and community of this important episcopal centre, particularly during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Language: English, with an Icelandic summary.

ISBN 9789979994657

Authors Gavin Lucas, Mjöll Snæsdóttir

Publisher Fornleifastofnun, 2026

Format Hardcover

Pages 192