PALAEOETHNOBOTANICAL ANALYSIS OF THE NORSE PERIOD MIDDEN AT QUOYGREW, ORKNEY, SCOTLAND Local production or Importation of Economic Taxa Sandra Lynn Poaps A thesis submitted in confonnity with the requirernents for the degme of Master of Science Graduate Department of Geography University of Toronto @Copyrightby Sandra Lynn Poaps 2000 National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rwWellington OnawaON KlAONI KlAW canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence aiiowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seii reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur fomat électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. PALAEOETHNOBOTANICAL ANALYSIS OF THE NORSE PERIOD MfDDEN AT QUOYGREW, ORKNEY, SCOTLAND: Local production or Importation of Ecanomic Taxa Master of Science, 2000 Sandra Lynn Poaps Department of Geography University of Toronto Abstract Preliminary palaeoethnobotanical analysis of material excavated in 1997 form the Norse Penod midden at Quoygrew, Westray, Orkney, Scotland is presented. Local produdion versus importation of crop taxa incl uding , in O rder of dom inance, Hordeum vulgare (barley) , Avena sp. (oats) , Linurn usitatissimum (flax) and Triticum sp. (wheat) is examined. The suite of taxa recovered are typical of Norse Period sites in Orkney. Assemblage composition rernains consistent through tirne, suggesting that the subsistence economy and/or use of the midden remained the same during the period of use. The presence of arable weeds and chaff indicate local production of Hordeum vulgare and Avena sp.. Linum usitatissrinum is also thought to have been locally grown although only seeds were recovered. Triticum, represented by one caryopses and one rachis intemode, may represent a weed of the other crop taxa or an impoft, rather than a locally produced, primary crop. The botanical assemblage as a whole suggests domestic use of the midden. Acknowledgemenb I would Iike to thank al1 the peopie who have helped to make the pfocess of researching and writing this thesis enjoyable. I must begin by thanking Dr. James Ba- (York University, UK) for introducing me to the projed and inviting me to join it. Also for his pradical assistance both financial (funds providecl through SSHRC and Historie Scotland) arrd intelledual (a- to books and manuscripts as well as to his thoughts and ideas). And finally for his almost infinite patience. I wish to thank my supetvisor, Professor Tony Davis, for his enthusiastic response to my application to the programme and for his continued support throughout the long process of completion. I would also Iike to thank the Geography Department. University Of Toronto for accepting me into the programme and providing me with financial support (University of Toronto Fellowship, McMaster Trust). Also deserving of great thanks is Mrs. Jacqui Huntiey (University of Durham, UK) who for fwe intensive weeks train& me as a palaeoethnobotanist, allowed me to pour over her ouun and the University of Durtiam's specimen dlecüons and has allowed me to ask countless questions since that time A host of other University of Toronto facutty and staff have hdped along the way: Donna Jeynes, Jiri Werner, Dr. Joe Deslqes and Dr. Marianne Douglas. A -cial thank you to Professor Jock McAndrews who provided me access to his labofatory and to the intricate inner workings of CANPLOT and to Bruce Huang, the System Administmtor, without whose assistance this thesis would not have been cornpietedl And finalfy, I would Iike to thank my cornmittee members, Dr. Joe Desloges and Dr. Gary Crawford and, of course, Dr. Tony Davis. I would Iike to thank researctiers who have made availabie to me unpublished data ador assisted me in some manner: MIS. Jacqui Huntley, Dr. Oiywn Owen, Dr. Julie M. Bond, Dr Jane Bunting, Ms. Anne Bnindle, and Dr. Vicki Szabo. Wrthout the support of family and friends this thesis would not have been possible. I would to thank: my family, particularty my mother, Lucy and my father, Gerald, and also my friends Frances Morgan Bloss; Eric Smith; Toni Schlueter, Patricia Kirch, Jennifer Kelly-Symta, Vicki Szabo, Eliane Raymond and the Palaeoethnobotany Gang - Della Saunders and Gyoung-Ah Lee. iii 1 would like to thank the 1987 crew: Tessa Poller, Vicki Szabo, Karen Milek, Loma Sharpe, Jerry Hamer, Jayne Oitmann, George Clark, Andrew GMn and Knstjan Ahronson. Also, I wuld like to thank the people of Westray who made us feel welcorne. IwouM particularly like to thank Linda Hagen anâ her family; Margaret and George Drever; and everyone wtro did not get in the way of the van while I was driving! It should go without saying but it, of course, must not ... Aithough many people hâve given me assistance ail errors in this thesis theoretical or pradical are mine and mine alone. Plate 0.1 The 1997 Crew. From Left to Right: Sandra Poaps, Tessa Poller, Jayne Oltman, George Clarke, Andrew Griffin and Kristjan Ahronson. Missing: Dr. James Barrett, Dr. Vicki Szabo, Dr. Tony Davis, Dr. lan Simpson, Karen Milek, Loma Sharpe and Jerry Hamer Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... ii ... Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ III Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... v ... List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... VIJI List of Plates................................................. ,... .............................................................................. ix List of Figures .......................................................................................................................................... x List of Appendices ..................................................................................................................................xji Chapter 1: lntrodudion ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 Introduction: Farm Mounds and Fish Middens............................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Orkney: Geographical Frameworlt ......................................................................................... 4 2.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Geographic Location and Geology ................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Glaciation ...................................................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Surface Deposits and Soils ............................................................................................................ 7 ........................................................................... 2.4 Climate ........................................................................... 10 2.4.1 Modem Climate .................................................................................................................... 10 2.4.2 Climate Through the Norse Period ........................................................................................ 12 2.5 Vegetation History ................................................................................................................... 13 2.5.1 The Holocene ....................................................................................................................... 13 2.5.2 The Recent Past .................................................................................................................. 15 2.5.3 Current Vegetation Habitats ............................................................................................ 16 2.6 Archaeology ................................................................................................................................ 17 2.6.1 Archaeology and Oubsistence Economy in Orkney................................................................ 17 Chapter 3 . Westray and Quoygrew ....................................................................................................... 22 3.1 Westray ...................................................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Geographic Location and Geology ............................................................................................... 22 3.3 Surface Deposits