RAPID: Archaeological Investigations at Surtshellir Cave

RAPID：Surtshellir 洞穴考古调查

• 批准号: 1355001
• 负责人: Kevin Smith
• 金额: $ 4.55万
• 依托单位: Brown University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1355001&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; Archaeological; Investigations; Surtshellir; Cave

Caves were places of fear for the Norse colonies of the North Atlantic, and were generally avoided. One notable exception is Surtshellir cave, one of the largest lava-tube caves in the world. Surtshellir's folklore, mythology, and historic narratives span nearly a millennium and are dominated by images of terror, the overthrow of the world's order, and the restoration of balance through the actions of Viking Age chieftains and community leaders. These stories begin with the being for whom the cave is named - Surtur, an elemental force of fire and lava whom the Norse believed was present at the world's creation and would destroy the world, men, and the gods at the end of time. Surtshellir has an impressive archaeological record, documented by the PI on expeditions into Surtshellir in 2001 and, with NSF EAGER funding, in 2012: a ship-shaped Viking Age structure 300 meters back into the cave, massive numbers of dismembered, intentionally fragmented animal bones, and a dry-stone wall 30 ft (10 m) long and 15ft (4.5 m) high built to block entrance or exit from the cave.Two explanations have been put forward for Surtshellir's unique archaeological record: that these are the residues of outlaws' occupations or that it represents a site at which sacrifices were made to calm Surt or to prevent the end of the world. Assessing these alternatives will lead to major refinements of our understanding of Viking Age religion and the social and sacral organization that the North Atlantic Norse colonizers brought with them, or developed on arriving in Iceland. Central to understanding this site are thin floor deposits within the Viking Age structure that the PI?s team identified in 2012. However, the site is now a tourist destination and these fragile Viking Age deposits and their artifacts are being damaged and looted by unregulated access to the cave and ultimately endangered by the ongoing collapse of the cave's roof, both of which limit the time when the site can be documented.The PI will use RAPID funding in August 2013 to excavate these endangered cultural deposits before another tourist season can damage them further or the roof's collapse seals them forever. The project's international collaborators - the National Museum of Iceland and theIcelandic Antiquities Office view this research as a necessary first step towards protecting the site's archaeological resources, interpreting it for present and future generations, and enabling sustainable and justifiable tourist access to the cave.

洞穴是北大西洋上北大西洋北部殖民地的恐惧场所，通常避免。 Surtshellir Cave是世界上最大的熔岩洞之一Surtshellir Cave。 Surtshellir的民间传说，神话和历史叙事跨越了近千年，并以恐怖形象，推翻世界秩序的形象以及通过维京时代的酋长和社区领袖的行动来恢复平衡。这些故事始于洞穴所命名的存在 - Surtur，Surtur，Surtur，这是北欧人认为在世界创造中存在的火与熔岩的基本力量，并将在时间结束时摧毁世界，人类和众神。 Surtshellir具有令人印象深刻的考古记录，PI在2001年在探险中进行了探险，并在2012年凭借NSF急切的资金：船形维京时代结构300米，回到洞穴中，回到洞穴中，大量，大量拆散，有意散布的动物骨头，以及一个零散的动物骨头，以及一条损坏的30 ft和15ft（4.5 ft）（4.5）（4.5）洞穴的解释是为了萨尔特塞里尔（Surtshellir）独特的考古记录提出的：这些是​​违法行为的残留物，或者它代表了一个牺牲以平息苏尔特或防止世界末日的牺牲的地点。评估这些替代方案将导致我们对维京时代宗教的理解以及北大西洋挪威殖民者带来的社会和萨克拉组织的理解，或者在抵达冰岛时发展。理解该站点的核心是PI团队在2012年确定的维京人年龄结构内的薄地板沉积物。但是，该地点现在是一个旅游目的地，这些脆弱的维京时代的沉积物及其伪像损坏并遭受了不受监管的范围，并最终被限制在洞穴中的临时限制，这两者都可以限制在洞穴的不断崩溃的情况下。在另一个旅游季节之前挖掘这些濒临灭绝的文化沉积物可能会进一步损害它们，或者屋顶的倒塌将它们永远密封。该项目的国际合作者 - 国家冰岛国家博物馆和Teicelandic Antigities Office办公室将这项研究视为保护该地点的考古资源的必要第一步，将其解释为目前和未来的后代，并使可持续和合理的旅游者可以进入洞穴。