Journey to the Center of the Earth: REVEALing a Subterranean Landscape of Fear in the North Atlantic

该提案寻求EAGER资助，以测试REVEAL，这是布朗大学工程学院开发的一种新的三维绘图和现场记录产品，在具有挑战性的Surtshellir地下环境中，（Surtur的洞穴），这是北方独特的考古遗址。苏尔特谢利尔是中世纪冰岛人命名的火巨人，维京海盗时代的挪威殖民者认为它会给世界带来毁灭。中世纪的文献描述了维京海盗时代的酋长们前往苏尔特谢利尔安抚这个火巨人，后来又击败了据说在洞穴中避难的歹徒。据世纪的资料记载，13世纪40年代，这个洞穴里的酋长们实施了残酷的政治残害和报复行为。这些和其他参考资料表明，苏尔特谢里尔可能是冰岛最令人恐惧的地方，但也是一个与中世纪冰岛社会恢复行为有关的地方。的酋长。因此，了解这个独特的网站有可能提供新的见解的神圣和社会作用的领导人在冰岛？复杂的土著社会。2001年，在苏尔特谢里尔进行的初步工作记录了它包含（1）世界上保存最完好的维京海盗时代建筑之一，（2）一个巨大的干石墙，（3）一堆家畜骨头，粉碎，切碎，燃烧并从结构中扔到洞穴深处。所有这些都位于这个冰岛最长的熔岩洞的深处。现在，我们打算利用REVEAL获得关于Surtshellir内部独特矿床的新信息，并利用这个机会测试REVEAL在地下和内部空间的后勤挑战环境中记录考古特征的能力，在那里它可能能够做出最大的贡献。此外，由于不受管制的旅游业，Surtshellir洞穴的考古遗迹受到严重威胁，并受到洞穴不可避免的坍塌的威胁，该项目将为冰岛考古遗产局保护和长期管理该遗址提供重要的文件和工具（Fornleifavernd Ríkisins）和冰岛国家博物馆（jóminjasafn slands），这两个机构都是这项研究的合作伙伴。

This proposal seeks EAGER funding to test REVEAL, a new 3-dimensional mapping and site documentation product developed by Brown University's School of Engineering, in the challenging subterranean environment of Surtshellir, (Surtur's cave), a unique archaeological site in the North. Surtshellir was named by medieval Icelanders for the fire-giant that Viking Age Norse colonists believed would bring about the destruction of the world. Medieval texts describe Viking Age chieftains traveling to propitiate this fire-giant in Surtshellir and, later, to defeat outlaws said to have taken refuge in the cave. Thirteenth century sources describe brutal political acts of mutilation and revenge carried out by chieftains inside this cave during the 1240s. These and other references suggest that Surtshellir may have beenthe most feared place in Iceland, but also a location linked to acts of social restoration by medieval Iceland?s chieftains. Understanding this unique site therefore has the potential to provide new insights into the sacred and social roles of leaders within Iceland?s complex indigenous society. Preliminary work inside Surtshellir in 2001 documented that it contains (1) one of the best-preserved Viking Age structures in the world, (2) a massive dry-stone wall, and (3) a pile of domestic animal bones, crushed, chopped, burned and thrown from the structure deeper into the cave. All are located deep within this, Iceland's longest lava cave. Now, we intend to use REVEAL to gain new information on the unique deposits inside Surtshellir and to use this opportunity to test REVEAL's ability to document archaeological features within the logistically challenging environments of subterranean and interior spaces, where it may be able to make its greatest contributions. Further, as the archaeological remains in Surtshellir cave are actively endangered through unregulated tourism and are threatened by the inevitable collapse of the cave in which they are located, this project will provide critical documentation and tools for the site's protection and long-term management by the Icelandic Archaeological Heritage Agency (Fornleifavernd Ríkisins) and the National Museum of Iceland (Þjóðminjasafn Íslands), both of which are partners in this research.