The Faunal Remains from Two Hearth-Row Sites in Pasvik, Arctic Norway

At archaeological excavations of rectangular hearth-row sites in Pasvik, Arctic Norway, rich animal bone assemblages have been found that are dated to AD 1000–1350. Reindeer predominates among the represented species, followed by fish as the second most important category. Some bone elements of sheep have also been identified suggesting an early example of sheep herding. Indications of seasonality point to winter activities at these hearthrow sites

The prelude to industrial whaling:Identifying the targets of ancient European whaling using zooarchaeology and collagen mass-peptide fingerprinting

Taxonomic identification of whale bones found during archaeological excavations is problematic due to their typically fragmented state. This difficulty limits understanding of both the past spatio-temporal distributions of whale populations and of possible early whaling activities. To overcome this challenge, we performed zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry on an unprecedented 719 archaeological and palaeontological specimens of probable whale bone from Atlantic European contexts, predominantly dating from ca 3500 BCE to the eighteenth century CE. The results show high numbers of Balaenidae (many probably North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)) and grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) specimens, two taxa no longer present in the eastern North Atlantic. This discovery matches expectations regarding the past utilization of North Atlantic right whales, but was unanticipated for grey whales, which have hitherto rarely been identified in the European zooarchaeological record. Many of these specimens derive from contexts associated with mediaeval cultures frequently linked to whaling: the Basques, northern Spaniards, Normans, Flemish, Frisians, Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians. This association raises the likelihood that early whaling impacted these taxa, contributing to their extirpation and extinction. Much lower numbers of other large cetacean taxa were identified, suggesting that what are now the most depleted whales were once those most frequently used.</p

Population genomics of the Viking world.

The maritime expansion of Scandinavian populations during the Viking Age (about AD 750-1050) was a far-flung transformation in world history1,2. Here we sequenced the genomes of 442 humans from archaeological sites across Europe and Greenland (to a median depth of about 1×) to understand the global influence of this expansion. We find the Viking period involved gene flow into Scandinavia from the south and east. We observe genetic structure within Scandinavia, with diversity hotspots in the south and restricted gene flow within Scandinavia. We find evidence for a major influx of Danish ancestry into England; a Swedish influx into the Baltic; and Norwegian influx into Ireland, Iceland and Greenland. Additionally, we see substantial ancestry from elsewhere in Europe entering Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Our ancient DNA analysis also revealed that a Viking expedition included close family members. By comparing with modern populations, we find that pigmentation-associated loci have undergone strong population differentiation during the past millennium, and trace positively selected loci-including the lactase-persistence allele of LCT and alleles of ANKA that are associated with the immune response-in detail. We conclude that the Viking diaspora was characterized by substantial transregional engagement: distinct populations influenced the genomic makeup of different regions of Europe, and Scandinavia experienced increased contact with the rest of the continent

Matières premières et fabrication de peignes en Scandinavie médiévale

De grandes quantités de déchets révèlent l\u27emplacement des ateliers de fabrication de peignes dans les villes médiévales. Les fragments d’os et de bois nous indiquent de quelles espèces animales venait la matière première et comment l’approvisionnement était organisé. Aux XIe et XIIe siècles, le bois était la matière première principale. Le bois d’élan ou de cerf venant de la population locale de gibier constituait la majeure partie de la matière première. Il y a cependant au moins un exemple où l’on a préféré aux ressources locales des bois de renne venus de loin. Au XIIIe siècle, la qualité de la matière première a changé de façon générale. On a préféré des os d\u27animaux domestiques, surtout de bovins et de chevaux.Large quantities of waste reveal where the workshops of comb makers were located in medieval towns. Fragments of bone and antler tell us from what species the raw materials came and how the supply was organized. In the 11th and 12th centuries, antler was the dominant raw material for combs, usually from local populations of elk or red deer. However, There is at least one example where reindeer antler, transported from afar, was clearly preferred over local resources. During the 13th century there was a general change in the nature of the raw material to more bones from domestic animals, especially cattle and horses.</p

Storgravsprojektet : osteologiska analyser av yngre järnålderns benrika brandgravar

The authors have carried out osteological analyses on 14 cremation graves which are extremely rich in bones. The analysed Late Iron Age graves are concentrated to the Lake Mälaren valley. The resulta show tha) a great number ol animals were sacrificed on lhe funeral pyres in honour of the dead. The animals include trained falcons and bawks. They reveal that falconry already in the 6th century was pracliced by the wealthy class

Hunters, herders and hearths: interpreting new results from hearth row sites in Pasvik, Arctic Norway

The transition from hunting to reindeer herding has been a central topic in a number of archaeological works. Recently conducted archaeological investigation of two interior hearth row sites in Pasvik, Arctic Norway, have yielded new results that add significantly to the discussion. The sites are dated within the period 1000-1300 AD, and are unique within this corpus due to their rich bone assemblages. Among the species represented, reindeer is predominant (87 %), with fish (especially whitefish and pike) as the second most frequent category. Even sheep bones are present, and represent the earliest indisputable domesticate from any Sámi habitation site. A peculiar feature is the repeated spatial pattern in bone refuse disposal, showing a systematic and almost identical clustering at the two sites. Combining analyses of bone assemblages, artefacts and archaeological features, the paper discusses changes in settlement pattern, reindeer economies, and the organization of domestic space. The analyses provide new perspectives on early domestication as well as on the remarkable changes that took place among the Sámi societies in northern Fennoscandinavia during the Viking Age and early Medieval Period

Dental markers of biocultural sex differences in an early modern population from Gothenburg, Sweden: caries and other oral pathologies

Abstract Background With the aim to study dental pathological lesions in an early Swedish modern population, with special reference to sex variances of dental caries, the prevalence and distribution of dental caries and tooth wear were determined in complete and partial human dentitions from an early modern-time city graveyard (1500–1620) excavated in Gamlestaden, Gothenburg, Sweden. Methods Partial and complete dentitions were examined through visual inspection and using a dental probe. Pathologies were studied, evaluated and presented by teeth and alveoli. Results The study population consisted of 308 individuals. A total of 4,951 teeth in adults and 1,660 teeth in children were examined. Caries prevalence in the studied population was 55% and the highest prevalence of caries was found among the adults, where 68% of the individuals had at least one carious lesion. Caries experience (DMT > 0) in the entire population was 60%, and among adults caries experience was 76%. Women had significantly higher caries experience than men (p < 0.05). Caries was most prevalent in the molar teeth and least prevalent in the incisors and canines. Significant age-related increases in tooth wear were found, and a positive correlation between wear in molars and incisors (p < 0.001). Other clinical findings were signs of apical lesions, crowding of teeth, aplasia, non-erupted canines and calculus. Conclusions Findings show that dental pathological lesions affected a majority of the studied population, and indicate that women were more predisposed to dental disease than their male counterparts. Results are discussed from a multi-factorial explanation model including dietary, physiological and cultural etiological factors