Straddling both sides of the Öxará river are the ruins of various temporary camps called búðir (literally 'booths'). These stone foundations were covered during Alþingi sessions and were where parliament-goers camped. They also acted like stalls at today’s music festivals, selling beer, food and vellum to the assembled crowds. Most of the remains date from the 17th and 18th centuries; the largest, and one of the oldest, is Biskupabúð, which belonged to the bishops of Iceland and is located north of the church.