City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works School of Arts & Sciences Theses Hunter College Fall 8-16-2020 Tracing the Human-Avian Relationship in Iceland Melanie Sua CUNY Hunter College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/628 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Tracing the Human-Avian Relationship in Iceland by Melanie S. Sua Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Anthropology, Hunter College The City University of New York 2020 August 1st, 2020 Thomas McGovern Date Thesis Sponsor August 1st , 2020 Megan Hicks Date. Second Reader ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible if it was not for the support from family, friends, and faculty members. First, I would like to acknowledge my thesis advisor Professor Thomas McGovern for his supervision and the opportunity to let me work on a collection of bird bones from his prior excavations in Iceland. Professor McGovern’s assistance throughout the whole process was valuable and informative. Also, I would like to thank my second reader Megan Hicks for her assistance in helping me properly identify different bird groups and species. In addition, her supportive advice on how to structure and proceed with my thesis paper. Thanks to Jeanette Abreu for her encouragement throughout the master’s program at Hunter, she is truly a vital faculty member in the Anthropology department. I would like to thank the Anthropology teachers and students from The City College of New York: Victor Luna, Barbara Johnson, Professor Samad Matias, and Professor Diana Wall for influencing me to acquire a master’s degree. Lastly, I would like to thank my family because they continue to support my goal to pursue a career in archaeology. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... II LIST OF FIGURES .....................................................................................................................................IV LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................................... VII CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION A. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................... 1 B. STUDY AREA ............................................................................................................................... 2 C. LAYOUT ........................................................................................................................................ 3 II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND A. DATING ......................................................................................................................................... 5 B. IMPACT OF LANDNÁM .............................................................................................................. 8 III. MÝVATNSSVEIT REGION A. LOCATION AND ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................ 9 B. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 1. SVEIGAKÓT ........................................................................................................................... 13 2. HRÍSHEIMAR ......................................................................................................................... 19 C. ARCHAEOFAUNA 1. RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................. 23 2. IDENTIFICATION & MEASUREMENT .............................................................................. 23 3. DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................... 26 IV. ICELANDIC BIRDS A. SPECIES OF BIRDS .................................................................................................................... 30 B. NESTING & INCUBATION........................................................................................................ 45 C. DIET….......................................................................................................................................... 51 D. SUBSISTENCE PRACTICES ...................................................................................................... 53 V. HUMAN-AVIAN RELATIONSHIP A. FOLKLORE, SAGAS, AND POEMS 1. RAVEN .................................................................................................................................. 57 2. EAGLE ................................................................................................................................... 61 3. PTARMIGAN ........................................................................................................................ 63 B. FOWLING 1. HISTORICAL MATERIALS ................................................................................................ 65 2. FOWLING INSTRUMENTS & METHODS ........................................................................ 66 3. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE ...................................................................................... 69 C. FOOD SOURCE 1. HISTORICAL MATERIALS ................................................................................................ 71 2. FOOD PREPARATION ......................................................................................................... 71 3. ARCHAEOFAUNAL EVIDENCE........................................................................................ 72 D. PRODUCTS 1. FUEL ...................................................................................................................................... 75 2. EGGS ...................................................................................................................................... 75 3. FALCONRY........................................................................................................................... 78 4. FEATHERS ............................................................................................................................ 81 VI. CONCLUSION A. FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 82 REFERENCES: ......................................................................................................................................... 85 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. “14C Ages and Delta 13C values for animals from domestic middens and pre-Christian burial from Mývatnssveit” from McGovern et al., 2007.. .............................................................. 7 Figure 2. “General Location map, Lake Mývatn basin area (Oscar Aldred)” from McGovern et al., 2007............................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 3. “Overview of the Sveigakót excavation in 2004 showing main features” from Vésteinsson, 2004. ........................................................................................................................ 14 Figure 4. “Presents a hypothesis for the order of events at Sveigakót” from Vésteinsson, 2004. 15 Figure 5. “Radiocarbon dates from Sveigakót” from Vésteinsson, 2002; 2001. .......................... 17 Figure 6. “Top image is a key (140) and Bottom Image are tweezers (156)” from Vésteinsson, 2006............................................................................................................................................... 18 Figure 7. “Calibrated dates” from Edvardsson & McGovern, 2007; McGovern et al., 2006. .... 20 Figure 8. “Low angle air photo (Arni Einarsson 2001) of the Hrísheimar site area Pre-Christian grave overlooks both farm area and the valley running northwards towards Arnarvatn. Mound R (unexcavated) is probably the main hall structure. Remains of wall lines and the set of iron smelters (A, B, C) run along the eroded ridge line to the north of the preserved Viking age deposits excavated 2001-06 (areas E, H, L, Q). Ruins of an early modern Sel or Shieling lie to the SE of the Viking age farm” from Edvardsson & McGovern, 2006. ....................................................... 21 Figure 9. “Figure 11” from Edvardsson & McGovern, 2007. ...................................................... 22 Figure 10. “Illustrates the relative percentage of migratory waterfowl, ptarmigan, and sea bird bones in the larger archaeofauna” from McGovern et al., 2009. .................................................. 27 Figure 11. Overview of Identified Bird Groups found in the Icelandic archaeofauna.. ............... 35 Figure 12. Relative proportions of Sea Birds in the Icelandic archaeofauna. ............................... 37 Figure 13. Relative Proportions of Wader birds in the Icelandic archaeofauna. .......................... 38 Figure 14. Relative Proportions for Waterfowl and the single songbird taxa in the Icelandic archaeofauna. ................................................................................................................................ 40 Figure 15. Relative Proportions for Birds of Prey (Raptorial) and Corvids in the Icelandic archaeofauna. ...............................................................................................................................