RAPID: Archaeological Investigations at Surtshellir Cave

Brown University, Providence RI

Investigators

Abstract

Caves were places of fear for the Norse colonies of the North Atlantic, and were generally avoided. One notable exception is Surtshellir cave, one of the largest lava-tube caves in the world. Surtshellir's folklore, mythology, and historic narratives span nearly a millennium and are dominated by images of terror, the overthrow of the world's order, and the restoration of balance through the actions of Viking Age chieftains and community leaders. These stories begin with the being for whom the cave is named - Surtur, an elemental force of fire and lava whom the Norse believed was present at the world's creation and would destroy the world, men, and the gods at the end of time. Surtshellir has an impressive archaeological record, documented by the PI on expeditions into Surtshellir in 2001 and, with NSF EAGER funding, in 2012: a ship-shaped Viking Age structure 300 meters back into the cave, massive numbers of dismembered, intentionally fragmented animal bones, and a dry-stone wall 30 ft (10 m) long and 15ft (4.5 m) high built to block entrance or exit from the cave. Two explanations have been put forward for Surtshellir's unique archaeological record: that these are the residues of outlaws' occupations or that it represents a site at which sacrifices were made to calm Surt or to prevent the end of the world. Assessing these alternatives will lead to major refinements of our understanding of Viking Age religion and the social and sacral organization that the North Atlantic Norse colonizers brought with them, or developed on arriving in Iceland. Central to understanding this site are thin floor deposits within the Viking Age structure that the PI?s team identified in 2012. However, the site is now a tourist destination and these fragile Viking Age deposits and their artifacts are being damaged and looted by unregulated access to the cave and ultimately endangered by the ongoing collapse of the cave's roof, both of which limit the time when the site can be documented. The PI will use RAPID funding in August 2013 to excavate these endangered cultural deposits before another tourist season can damage them further or the roof's collapse seals them forever. The project's international collaborators - the National Museum of Iceland and theIcelandic Antiquities Office view this research as a necessary first step towards protecting the site's archaeological resources, interpreting it for present and future generations, and enabling sustainable and justifiable tourist access to the cave.