« Ingólfur ! Mais quel Ingólfur ? »

The turf house (torfhús) is a type of self-built dwelling that appeared on the Icelandic islands during their colonisation in the 9th century. The few houses still visible today take the form of archaeological remains, late historical buildings and physical or virtual reconstructions requiring regular maintenance. Despite the difficulties of preserving it as heritage, the torfhús is at the heart of powerful historical and ideological issues and today allows various specialists to express their Icelandic identity. Focusing on the discipline of archaeology, this paper demonstrates that archaeologists are changing the Icelandic national narrative, which until now has been based on great founding figures, somewhere between fiction and reality. These changes in Icelandic history, which began in the 1990s, are based on a new use of ancient written sources, the discovery and media coverage of new remains, and the practice of restoration and experimentation. This paper is the result of doctoral research carried out in the field (2006-2017) and is based on bibliographical references and interviews with experts.