Um ærgistaðir og ærgitoftir

Abstract

In 1956 Professor Chr. Matras demonstrated the former use of shielings in the Faroes, based on the occurrence of the element ærgi, Old Irish airge in Faroese place-names5. The philological discovery was followed by archaeological recordíng and excavation, and in this paper identified and still unidentified remains of shielings are surveyed (fig. 1) and the excavation of a site in Ergidalur at Hov in Suðuroy is described.

To the left of the brook on fig. 2 an enclosure for the cattle — still unexcavated — is shown. To the right is the site of the house, fig. 3., from where the brook was crossed by a bridge. The house is 5.3 X 3.5 m inside and is divided by a secondary partition wall. Of dating evidence remains of clay bowls of Viking Age character are mentioned.