Churches of Reykholt

A church has stood at Reykholt since shortly after the adoption of Christianity in Iceland around 1000 AD. The oldest direct evidence of a church is a cartulary from the latter half of the 12th century, but there are indications that Reykholt had a church some time before. Reykholt was one of Iceland’s first and most important church centres. It became one of the country’s biggest parish churches, and it is one of the first to be excavated by archaeologists.

The church stood on almost the same site for nearly 900 years. The old church site was excavated in 2002-7. The research found that the church had stood on the same site from shortly after the adoption of Christianity in Iceland around 1000 AD, until 1886 when a new site was chosen farther to the north within the churchyard. Study of the site shows the longest continuous process of evolution of one church in Iceland, and adds much to our knowledge of the history of church buildings in Iceland.

Excavations revealed four main types of building. These can be dated partly by reference to the objects unearthed, many of which originated in England, Germany and France. The buildings varied in size, shape and form. The oldest building appears to have been a small domestic chapel about 4.5 metres long. The largest was a church of the 13th or 14th century, about 13 metres in length.