The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavík 871±2)
The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavík 871±2) is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Reykjavík audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~45 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Reykjavík Reykjavík guide
About The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavík 871±2)
Below a city-centre street, a Viking longhouse sits exactly where it was raised over a thousand years ago, dated to within two years by a layer of volcanic ash.
The Settlement Exhibition, known as Reykjavík 871±2 (Landnámssýningin), is run by the Reykjavík City Museum at Aðalstræti 16 in the city's oldest quarter. It is built around the excavated remains of one of the first known Viking houses in Iceland, displayed in its original location together with finds from other excavations in the city centre, including objects from central Reykjavík and the island of Viðey.
The centrepiece is a Settlement-Age hall, or skáli, excavated in 2001 and inhabited around 930 to 1000, described as among the oldest human-made structures found in the country. North of the hall lies a fragment of turf wall dated to about 871, a figure fixed by a volcanic ash layer from a Torfajökull eruption, which gives the exhibition its name. The 2001 dig, prompted by a hotel development, also uncovered the oldest evidence of human habitation yet found in Reykjavík.
Did you know? The exhibition's name, Reykjavík 871±2, comes from a fragment of turf wall dated to about the year 871. The two-year margin is set by a volcanic ash layer that settled across the region.
How long should you spend at The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavík 871±2)?
Plan about ~45 min at The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavík 871±2). That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavík 871±2) worth visiting?
The Settlement Exhibition (Reykjavík 871±2) is one of the 18 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Reykjavík, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Reykjavík
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