The Settlement Exhibition

About

The Settlement Exhibition Reykjavík 871±2 (Icelandic: Landnámssýningin) is an exhibit run the Reykjavik City Museum in Reykjavík, Iceland. It displays the ruins of one of the first known Viking houses in Iceland in its original location, as well as findings from other excavations in the city center. The exhibition is located at 101 Reykjavík, Aðalstræti 16, at the corner of Aðalstræti and Suðurgata.

The focus of the exhibition is the remains of a hall from the Settlement Age, excavated in 2001. The hall was inhabited from c. 930–1000. North of the hall are remnants of a wall that was built around 871 CE, ±2 years, hence the exhibition's name. Such precise dating is possible because a major volcanic eruption from the Torfajökull area spread tephra across the region. The hall is among the oldest human-made structures found in Iceland to this day. Also on display are objects from the Viking Age that were found in central Reykjavík and the island of Viðey.