An early Iron Age farm in Kongsvik

Arkeologisk undersøkelse ved Kongsvik kirkegård i Tjeldsund

Abstract

In connection with the planned expansion of Kongsvik churchyard, several archaeological features were discovered in 2020, leading to a full-scale excavation in 2021. The investigation revealed a pre-Roman Iron Age settlement environment consisting of two three-aisled longhouses, several cooking pits, hearths, and two oven installations—one of which is interpreted as a two-chamber dome oven, likely used for baking or food production. The radiocarbon dates indicate that the main activity took place between approximately 360 and 160 BCE, with some evidence suggesting continued activity towards the turn of the era. Building 2 may be somewhat older than Building 1, but the dating ranges overlap, and contemporaneity cannot be ruled out. The excavation also revealed modern disturbances in the area, which have affected preservation conditions. The artefact assemblage was relatively limited and dominated by clay daub from the oven structure. Finds of asbestos-tempered pottery, bronze melt droplets, and slag were also made, indicating possible craft activities. Overall, the investigation provides an important contribution to the understanding of early agricultural settlement in Northern Norway, as few longhouses from the pre-Roman Iron Age have previously been documented in the region.