Previous Research
Previous research
Only very limited and irregular archaeological research has been carried out at Þingvellir, although all old constructions and abandoned farm sites in the area were protected by law in 1927, with the national park being established a year later. In spite of all that has been written and said about Þingvellir, there are neither reliable nor thorough archaeological sources on the site of the ancient general assembly.
The limited research that has been done has added little to our knowledge of the place. Most of the scholarly effort has been spent on comparing 13th century accounts of events in the age of the Sagas with visible remains at the site, most of which probably date back only to the 18th century. There has also been a long-lasting dispute about the exact location of Lögberg, the "Law Rock", while very little is known about the age or structure of constructions at the site. Scientists therefore believe that much use may still be made of archaeological indications, in order to complete the picture of the site drawn up by earlier research.
Research of archaeological remains at Þingvellir began in the 18th century and since then various examinations have been carried out. The oldest description of the assembly site is from the year 1700. It accounts for Lögrétta, the "Law Council", Lögberg and 18 booths (shelters). This description maintains that the old Lögberg is situated on Spöngin by Flosagjá. Scholars have since then had bitter disputes about whether Lögberg was situated there or on the slope west of Öxará river, where the Alþing was most certainly held in later times. In the 18th century further descriptions were made of the assembly site, booths and other constructions found in the area. The most important descriptions from this period are found in the travel journals of Eggert Ólafsson and Bjarni Pálsson.
In the 19th century there was increasing interest in archaeological relics and historical places. Old constructions at Þingvellir then acquired symbolic importance in Iceland's struggle for independence, with political history being mixed up with the history of scholarship and ethnic research. The painter Sigurður Guðmundsson, founder of the Antiques Museum of Iceland, conducted research at Þingvellir in 1861, his report being published by Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag in 1878. This was the first independent work about archaeological finds at Þingvellir. In the 1930s, State Antiquarian Matthías Þórðarson carried out various examinations at the assembly site. Among other things, he made a new map of the site and had the western-most course of Öxará river dammed, fearing that the river might destroy archaeological remains in the area.
The most remarkable archaeological discovery at Þingvellir is a tau crozier head, unexpectedly found in the Þingvellir hayfield in 1957, when a ditch was being dug for an underground cable. A tau crozier is the rank symbol of bishops and abbots. The tau crozier is adorned in viking-age style and estimated by Kristján Eldjárn to be from the latter part of the 11th century. It is the only tau crozier head that has been discovered in the Nordic countries.
In the latest research, conducted in 1986-1988 under the 
supervision of Guðmundur Ólafsson, National Museum department head, some 50 booth ruins were recorded.
Considering the above, scientists at The Institute of Archaeology in Iceland expect that modern archaeological research methods will lead to the discovery of new information on the organization and development of the assembly site, as well as the structure and form of assembly booths.
