Roman Coins found in Iceland

• Published in: Antiquity
• Main Author: Shetelig, Haakon
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1949
• Subjects: General Arts and Humanities; Archeology; Akureyri; Iceland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00020226; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0003598X00020226

The State Antiquary of Iceland, Kristján Eldjárn, M.A., published in January this year a fine volume containing a report of his recent excavations of pagan graves, and other contributions to early Icelandic history, under the title of Gengidh á Reika, Akureyri, 1948. It is very important that we have got here reliable accounts of systematically explored Viking burials, with diagrams and photographs, all very well done, as Iceland had produced, till now, very little of similar publications. But really exciting is undeniably the news of the discovery of three Roman coins in Iceland. The place of discovery was at the farm Bragdhavellir, at the head of Hamarsfjord, in the district of Sudhur Mulasyssel, on the southeast coast of Iceland. In a small valley called Djupibotn the gales had partially denuded the ground leaving only the hard stony gravel subsoil. In this place the remains of two primitive houses came to light, certainly representing an ancient farm which had been deserted for long ages. A peasant of the vicinity Jón Sigfusson started searching the site for antiquities and collected a lot of such poor objects as are generally left in country dwellings of the early Middle-Ages, nails and fragments of iron, broken pots of soapstone, stone whorls, some teeth of horse and cow, bits of charcoal, etc. The only object of a more distinct character was a bead of variegated glass, reddish-brown with black and white, possibly dating from the Viking Period. Subsequently a number of the antiquities were sent to the National Museum in Reykjavik, including two Roman coins said to have been found on the same site and under same conditions as the other articles.