Iceland's "capital" for seven centuries

From 1056 Skálholt was an episcopal see, and a centre of power. This changed at the end of the 18th century when the bishopric and the cathedral school moved away. In 1954-58 extensive archaeological excavations were made at Skálholt in connection with the construction of the new cathedral. The foundations of previous churches/cathedrals were excavated.

Many buildings were excavated in 2002-7.These include the bishop’s “palace,” the schoolhouse and pupils’ dormitory, a meat store, pantry, refectory, a storeroom where food was preserved in whey, a kitchen, and long passage connecting the buildings. This cluster of buildings is to the south and southwest of the cathedral. In olden times a tunnel provided direct access to the cathedral.

Most of the buildings studied are from the 17th and 18th centuries. Beneath these buildings, older relics probably remain to be found. Various other structures have also been identified outside the excavation area. One reason for the good preservation of 17th- and 18th-century buildings is that the school and episcopal see moved away at the end of the 18th century. The place declined and its population fell, and thus nothing was built on the old sites in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The excavations yielded many finds, large and small, as well as animal bones and remains of plants and insects. These all contribute to an understanding of life at Skálholt.