University of Alberta .4 Paleoethnobotanical Investigation of Garden Under Sandet, a Waterlogged Norse Farm Site. Western Set~lement. Greenland (Kaiaallit Nunaata) Julie Megan Ross O A thcsis submitted to the Faculty of Graduare Studies and Rescarch in partial fulfilimsnt of the requirernent t'or the degree Mastcrs of Arts Department of Anthropology Edmonton. Alberta Fa11 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nationale I*I of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Sewices services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington OttawaON KIAON4 Oîtawa ON KI A ON4 Canada Canada Yovr Be vans niremleu Our Ne Nam rdlBlILnQl The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé me licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or eleceonic formats. la fome de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format 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 othemise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author' s ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Garden Under Sandet. GUS, is a Norse age central farmstead in the Western Sertlement of Greenland. Archaeobotanical samples were collccted during the 1995 and 1996 seasons: 42 of the 139 samples collected were analyzed. The archaeobotanical remains are excellently preserved because the site was sealed by alluvium and permafrost. The Westem Settlemcnr was established by the Norse in Ca. AD 1000; the Greenlrindic economy of the times was based on animal husbandry and hunting. The Norse relied on infields and outfields to provide fodder and construction material resulting in ri heavy reliance on vegetation. The abandonment of the Western Settlernent (ca. 1350) may have been caused by niany factors but of those suggested only caterpillar attrick. climate change and non-sustainable land-use practices could influence the archaeobotanic;il risseniblage. Norse archaeobotanical asseniblagss are created by dynamic formation processes which must be carefully determined. To avoid formation processes resulting in general interpretations a specific sampling is suggested and should be irnplemented. Sümples from the long house may indicate use of different fuels. A few anthropochores present in these samples indicate that the vegetation was quickly changed. Anthropochores later dominate the saniples indicating weeds became prolific. Analysis of rnanure showed cows ate Grass or Heath/Outfield plants and caprines grazed on Heath/Outfield plants or on plants from mixed groups. The list of people that 1 would like to thank is enormous as a research project such as this. although baving only one author. would not have been possible without al1 those mentioned below and more. 1 would like to thank the Canadian Circurnpolar Institute (CCI) and the Canadian Institute of Nordic Studies (CINS) for their financial support directed at the paleoethnobotanical aspect of the GUS project. My advisor Dr. Charles Schwegzr. and my cornmittee members Dr. Alywnne Beaudoin. Dr. Cliff Hickey and Dr. Michaei Hickman al1 deserve a thank you for the time they invested in my Masters thesis and rny education. 1 would like to thank Dr. Cynthia Zutter for acting as an unofficial advisor while Dr. Schweger was on sabbatical and for always asking the most difficult questions. 1 will always hold Sven Erik Albrethsen. Jette Arneborg. Joel Burglund. Dirleve Mahler and Guarnunder 6lafsson dear to rny hean for welcoming me to the GUS excavation and teaching me about Norse archaeology. They were also supportive in the post excavation research and making niy stay in Coprnhagen durin2 the autumn and early winter of 1996 enjoyable. My research opportunity in Denmark facilitated by CINS and Bent Aaby providcd me with the opportunity to Iearn more about paIeoethnobotanica1 research froni Ole Benike. Bent Fredskild. Jan Andreas Harild, Annine Moltsen. Petcr Rasmussen and David Robinson. From this long list 1 must single out Bent Fredskild for allowing me to use some of his Greenlandic reference niaterial and David Robinson for his utter support while 1 was in Copenhagen and his continued long distance support. In a less academic but still crucial manner 1 would like to thank al1 the staff at NNU and those people who made my stay in Copenhagen fun (Aoife Daly. Niels Bonde. lette Raal Hansen. Iva Koulbuhous. Susan Mahler. Kirsten Nersting. and "my Danish family"). Closer to honie 1 would Iike to thank Harvey Friebe and Pan1 Manye- Correia t'or support in rhe labs and for their ability to always place the rhesis work in perspective. Darlene Bagstad. Gai1 Mathew. Kelly Nicholson-Scheer and Marlus Rudiak in the Anthropology Office made al! the difference in draling with university matters that were not. necessarily. directly related to rny thesis. An apology is owed to al1 volunteers who helped me Donna Cancilla. Anita Ross. Rodricko Loyola, Kenza Kahrim; 1 am sorry 1 can only thank you and not reward you financially. 1 am not sure when rny thesis would have been cornpleted without Joseph King who lent me a power book which made al1 the difference in my productivity making it possible for me to use every available moment. Lisrt Mutch, Rita and Jim Ross ricted in a dual capacity as both editors and enlotional support for which 1 am indebted. 1 am both lucky and thankful to have a dedicated and faithful core of friends, Megan Lappi, Mike MacKinnon. Erin McCloskey. Ji11 Norse. Denise Parson, Alineen Rhodes anf Klodyne Rodney who support me throughout the degree. Perhaps not traditional but 1 would also like to thank CIare Anderson at the Sidetrack Cafe who in an indirect manner helped me achieve my academic goals. Contents 1) Introduction Discovery of Ghden Under Sandet Paleoetbnobotanical Po tential 2) History of Norse Greenland introduction Eirik the Red's Banishrnent Norse Settlement of Greenland Expansion to the Western Settlement Historical Developments Agricultural Economy himals Animal Shelters Infleld/ Ttin Outtield WiId himal Resources Division of Subsistence Acuvities Abandonment CaterpiIIar Inîkstation Clirnate Non-Sustainable Land-Use Prac tices 3 )Site Description Geographic Location Vegetation History of Western Greenland Vegetation Cornmunities at GUS Archeological Data from GUS 3) .bchaeobotanical Methods Samples in Relation to Sampling Universe Archaeo botmical Field Methods Archaeobotanical Laboratory Methods Pollen Grouping of Data 5) Resuli'; Macroremains Long House Living Rooms Animal Rooms Manure Consmction Materials Pollen Room 3 Manure 6)Formrition Processes and Discussion Forniauon Process Factors Affecthg Xrchaeobotanical Assemblages Fornzation Processes of GUS Archaeobotanical Assemblage Problems with Paleoethnobotanical Records Writcrlogged Sites Identification of Formation Processes at GUS Archaeobotanicd Sampling S trategies Discussion Long House Living Rooms Animal Rooms Manure Construction Materiai Denionstrating Strategy Five Bibliography Appendices Norse Sites with Paleoethnobotanical Data Macrofossils Idenufied at GUS and Other Norse Greenlandic Archaeological Sites. List of Archaeobotanical Samples ColIected from GUS SEM Photographie Documentation (X30)and identification Criteria of GUS Macrofossils Macrofossil and Pollen Counts for GUS Samples Common English. Danish and Greenlandic Narnes for Plant Found ar GUS Guidelines for Interpreting Palcoethnobotanical .4sscrnbIages Plants Identified in GUS Samples with Known Anthropogenic Uses. Tables Table Page Palaeovegetation zones of the Godthabsfjord area 50 Relative ages of sample based on room construction Caprine and cow manure 8 1 Benefits and limitation of five strategies to eliminate "noise" List of Figures Figure Page 1 Greenland and other areas of Norse influence 6 2 Map of Greenland 10 3 Broken millstone from Garden Under Sandet 19 4 Rume-r acetosella in modem field near Igaliko ad ar) Irrigation channel a< Gara a r 23 Hypothetical Norse seasonal round (Western Settlement) Hypothetical division of labour based on gender for Greenlandic Norse farm (Western Set~lemenr) 33 Spade with a possible woman's marker 36 1995 Lush vegetation in valley behind GUS site 39 1996 Vegetation in valley behind GUS site following caterpillar attack 3 9 Map of Western Settienlent 38 GUS in Iandscape 49 Xorth and south hcing slopes near GUS. 54 Mountain dope behind camp. 55 Highland meadow areas near GUS. 55 Sparsely vegetated sandy areas 56 Construc~iori phases and room nunibers 59 Archaeobotanical sampIes analyzed in refercncs to grid Room 27. long house. pie diagrams for samples 3167. 3039. 2727 and 3216 70 Room 27. long house, pie diagram for sample 2830 7 1 Room 27, long house, pie diagram sample 2823 7 1 Room 27. long house, pie diagrani sample 3160 (construction layer) 72 List of Figures Figure Page 23 Room 27. long house, pie diagram for sample 3264 (grass) 73 24 Building phase 4. pie diagrams for samples 2602/Rm6 and 2484/Rm4 74 25 Building phase 5, pie diagram for sample 2266/Rm3b 75 26 Building phase 6, pie diagrams for samples 2267Rm 1, 2283/Rm4a and 2450/Rm7 76 37 Rooni 19, pie diagram for sample 2624 77 2s Rooni 19. pie diagram for sample 2604 (posthole) 78 29 Unknown room, pie diagram for sample 2417 78 30 Rooni 3, cow byre. pie diagranis for samples 2544. 2370. 2124, 2610. 2609 and 2425 80 3 1 Caprine. pie diagrams for samples 3264/Rm27 and 258614 82 32 Cow. pie diagrritris for saniples for 2456lP 82 33 Construction niaterial. pie diagranis for samples 233414. 2343/Q, 23 I9lQ and 2618lG 84 34 Room 3. Cow byre. pie diagrams samples 2463. 2464 and 2465 86 35 Caprine . pie diagrams for samples 2586/Q, JR9.96/Rm 16. JR l3.96/Rrn 16. 3229/RmS3, 3297/Rm25 and 3 158/Rm27 87 Cow.