An ancient Viking settlement that was recently unearthed by archaeologists in Iceland may be the oldest of its kind in that region, Live Science reports.
According to the media outlet, the ancient longhouses – types of large wooden hall up to 75 meters long and 6 meters wide, that were used as communal habitation during the Viking Age – that were found in the vicinity of the village of Stöðvarfjörður, were apparently built decades before the island was settled by people during the 9th century.
The old longhouse was discovered buried underneath a more recent longhouse, with the latter dated around 874 A.D., the "commonly accepted date for Iceland's settlement by people", and contained a trove of valuables such as ornamental beads and ancient coins.
Excavations at Stöð, in Iceland, have revealed a longhouse believed to date to roughly 874 CE. Beneath this, archaeologists have discovered an older structure thought to be a seasonal settlement or camp, which may date to around 800 CE. https://t.co/mkzoivbpF9 via @LiveScience
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"The younger hall is the richest in Iceland so far," said Bjarni Einarsson, the archaeologist who led the excavations at the site. "It is hard not to conclude that it is a chieftain's house."
The artefacts uncovered by Einarsson's team included Roman and Middle Eastern silver coins, decorative glass beads, rings and weights, which the inhabitants likely obtained by trading local goods such as skin and meat from whales and seals, the archaeologist explained.
As Einarsson explained, the older longhouse is apparently the remains of a seasonal camp that was built before the island was settled permanently, and which was only occupied during summer and possibly into the fall.