One piece of research involves locating sources of raw material used...and not used...in the cave. Nearly 150 fragments of stone recovered from the floor of the structure inside Surtshellir were fragments of jasper, chalcedony, and flint that were struck off by steel strikers when making fires.
None of these fragments were from obsidian, even though the Icelandic term for obsidian, hrafntinna, incorporates the Icelandic term for a fire-starter, tinna, and obsidian was the material most well-known for use in this role.
So, why was no obsidian found inside Surtshellir or even Viðgelmir?
Was it because obsidian was not found locally?
It has been generally accepted by archaeologists that Icelandic obsidian comes from the north of the country, more than 100 kilometers away. However, Eggert Ólafsson and Bjarni Pálsson, writing in the 1760s described three types of obsidian from a valley just 5-10 kilometers from Surtshellir.
Last week I went to that valley and within 15 minutes collected more than a kilogram of high-quality obsidian from the bed of its central stream and also, quite literally, from the gravel outside the front doors of the farms that Icelandic folklore and the Book of Settlements identify as the homes of the outlaws who were supposed to have used the lava field's caves.
This obsidian would have been easily accessible, is very high quality, and was the closest source of a raw material that could have been used to start fires in the caves. It was quite literally available in the neighborhood, and we've found it used in other Viking Age sites in the valley. In contrast, obtaining the jasper used inside the caves required one-way journeys of at least 50-80 kilometers.
So, why was obsidian – the closest accessible raw material – apparently avoided within the cave? Is it a coincidence that Surtur's name means the blackener, as in the scorcher or burner? Would one avoid using a black material to start fires in his cave? Interesting possibilities. Perhaps color matters.
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