Archaeological Inventory of the Land of Hafnarfjörður
For many years, the Hafnarfjörður Folk Museum has been recording archaeological sites on the town's land, as one of its duties is to register all monuments in the municipality. Archaeological recording is essential for planning purposes and, in accordance with the Cultural Heritage Act, an archaeological survey must be submitted before a local plan is approved. In 2020, it was decided to re-record all archaeological sites within the municipality of Hafnarfjörður, as many of the existing archaeological surveys were outdated and needed to be updated to the new standards of the National Heritage Board.
Hafnarfjörður Museum of Local History has been recording archaeological sites for many years
In the town's countryside, one of the roles of the local museum is to look after
the registration of all monuments in the municipality. Archaeological registration is necessary in
in planning matters and under the laws on cultural heritage, an archaeological recording must be carried out.
be in place before a detailed plan is approved. In 2020, it was decided to proceed
in the re-registration of all archaeological sites in the municipality of Hafnarfjörður, where many
Of the existing archaeological records, some were outdated and needed to be updated.
new standards of the Icelandic Heritage Agency. Technology is advancing rapidly in this, as
Secondly, and now all archaeological remains must be accurately surveyed with
the latest gadgets.
A comprehensive register of archaeological sites in the townscape
It was decided to divide the town's land into twelve areas and prepare
a comprehensive inventory of archaeological sites in the townscape. Through archaeological recording,
The antiquities have been mapped, and the recording is therefore very important.
part of the preservation of cultural heritage, as it is necessary to know the location
of the monuments in order to be able to protect them. Before going to the site, a search is carried out for
sources on the history of the area, e.g. in county and parish histories, place-name records,
old maps and aerial photographs. When visiting the site, the entire area is walked and
The monuments were surveyed with a precise positioning device and photographed.
All monuments accessible on the Hafnarfjörður Municipality's map website.
The work has gone better than expected and in July
This year, registration in 11 areas has already been completed. Only one area remains to be registered, which is located in a public space.
south of Hafnarfjörður and the aim is to complete that registration work on this
In the autumn, all the monuments were added to the town's map website., https://map.is/hafnarfjordur/ and
The reports themselves are available on the home page of the folk museum. Registration of this kind is, of course, not
not exhaustive, as something can always be missed by the person recording the archaeological remains. The Folk Museum
Therefore, suggestions are welcome regarding archaeological sites that are not listed in
these reports.
- Visit the town's map website – archaeological features must be ticked
under planning - All the reports can be viewed on the website of the Hafnarfjörður Museum of Local History.