Reykjavík 871±2

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Reykjavík 871^±2 is an exhibition on the settlement of Reykjavík. The exhibition is owned and operated by the Reykjavik City Museum (Árbæjarsafn). The exhibition is based on the archaeological excavation of the ruin of one of the first houses in Iceland and findings from other excavations in the city centre. The exhibition is located in Reykjavík old centre, on the corner of Adalstræti and Suðurgata.

The exhibition is based on scholars' theories on what the heritage sites in central Reykjavík can tell us about the life and work of the first settlers. The focus of the exhibition is the remains of a hall from the Settlement Age which was excavated in 2001. The hall was inhabited from 930-1000. North of the hall are two pieces of turf, remnants of wall which was clearly built shortly before 871. This is one of the oldest man-made structures so far found in Iceland. Also on display are objects from the Viking age found in central Reykjavík and the island of Videy.

Various methods are employed to explain and interpret the remains of the building. In a reconstuction window are controls for calling up a three-dimensional image of how the hall may have looked. Building techniques are also explained. On the multimedia table is a large model of the hall, with diverse information on the archaeologists' research findings and methods, the hall as it was, and the life and work that went on there. Two touch-screens give information about cultural affinities between different North Atlantic nations and the Vikings' expansion and how they settled new countries.