Volcanoes, Gods, and Men: REVEALing a Viking Age Ritual Landscape beneath Iceland’s Interior

Beneath the earth's surface, at the edge of western Iceland, are evocative archaeological remains. In 2001, Kevin Smith (Deputy Director) and a small Icelandic team documented Surtshellir Cave's archaeological record for the first time. In August 2012 they returned, using a program (REVEAL) developed at Brown for archaeological data recording and 3D imaging. This talk examines Surtshellir’s role in mythology, history, folklore and our expanding understanding of the Viking worldview.