Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2015, Side 65

Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2015, Side 65
Harp Seals in the Icelandic Archaeofauna: Sea Ice and Hard Times 2000+) and Skagafjörður (1830, 1000) (Guðmundsson 1944, 151-152; Kristjáns- son 1980, 329). Only three 19th century culls refer specifically to harp seal pups being clubbed (Vestfirðir 1817/1818, Hornstrandir and Hrútafjörður 1820 and Skagafjörður 1830). Notably, the harp seal pup cull of 1820 does not make any refer- ence to drift ice (Guðmundsson 1944, 151- 52; Kristjánsson 1980, 329). Intriguingly, the earliest reference to harp seals in Iceland is not associated with uppidráp. It comes from 1605 with a legal judgement pertaining to the right to hunt harp seals with nets in Norður Þingeyjar- sýsla (Espólín 1821-1855, 92-93). Ólafur Olavius, travelling in northern Iceland from 1775 until 1777 also observed that farmers in Þingeyjarsýsla were using nets to capture harp seals, with further accounts suggesting that between 2160 to 2300 harp seals were captured in this region in this manner at that time (Kristjánsson 1980, 360-363). There were up to 50 nets laid in Þingeyjarsýsla overall and it seems that the region specialised in this hunting method (Kristjánsson 1980, 360-63); a method that persisted there into the early 20th century (Guðmundsson 1944, 164-67). There are a number of other features of this 350 year old tradition that are worthy of note. Dur- ing the 17th century, the six nets at Hraun- höfn (said to be the best place in the region to catch harp seals with nets) were auc- tioned every three years with the attached rights exclusive to the highest bidder while in 1800 the priest at Húsavík leased his harp sealing rights (Kristjánsson 1980, 364). The economic rather than subsistence value of harp seal derivatives is perhaps emphasised by the fact that in 1750 an entire harp seal could be sold in Iceland for 2 ríkisdalir, by 1775 this price applied only to the skin (Kristjánsson 1980, 364). Nets were used elsewhere in north- ern Iceland but not to the extent apparent in Þingeyjarsýsla. For example, in 1833, large catches of harp seals are accounted for in Flateyjardalur (1500), Siglunes and Siglufjörður (500) and Skagafjörður (300) (Guðmundsson 1944, 158). From 1840, nets were used in Steingrímsfjörður and ísafjarðardjúp. Killer whales (Orcinus orca) were responsible for driving harp seals into these fjords; a habit that enterprising locals took advantage of by laying their nets in the path of the fleeing harp seals (Kristjánsson 1980, 362). Netting of harp seals began in Breiðafjörður in the winter of 1857 with the best results reported from Kerlingaríjörður, Skálmarljörður and Kollafjörður. A further mid-19th century account states that a boat from Reykjanes laid nets in Kollafjörður and captured 212 harp seals over four win- ters (Kristjánsson 1980, 362-64). According to 19th century accounts, harp seals appear to have frequented northern, eastern and western Icelandic waters predominantly between November and May (although there is some regional 63

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