Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.1998, Síða 120

Gavin Lucas
ance of the site specialist, and areas of
special interest assessed for micro-
morphological sampling. All records
are computerised in post-excavation
and a stratigraphic matrix created,
which, along with an annual interim
report, contribute to maintaining
control over the records of an on-
going, long-term field project.
One of the significant aspects to
working at Hofstaðir is the presence of
specialists in the field who can contri-
bute to the interpretation of deposits
and guide the sampling procedure.
Not only is it better for the specialist
to have seen the context of their sam-
ples in situ, but it is better for the
excavator if they have instant feedback
on the deposit they are excavating. At
Hofstaðir there are several areas of
specialism which can be drawn upon,
all of which contribute to an under-
standing of the site, its formation, use
and abandonment. These are briefly
outlined below, but fuller treatments
can be seen in the following papers.
Zooarchaeology
Animal bones and molluscs are
encountered in deposits at Hofstaðir
and provide a wealth of information on
various aspects of an archaeological
site. T. McGovern, T. Amorosi and
their colleagues from NABO have
been working on the project since
1996 and studying the animal bones
and molluscs from the site. By identi-
fying the species to which bones and
shells belong, the diversity and qu-
antity of the different sea and land
animals exploited by this early
Icelandic community can be discover-
ed. But in addition, by analysing
aspects of age, sex and butchery marks
on the bone, a much more detailed
picture can be gleaned of how these
animals were exploited - age and sex
ratios within a species can often reveal
whether an animal such as the sheep
was primarily kept for meat, dairy
produce or wool for example, while di-
agnostic cut and fracture marks on the
bone can show how the animal was
killed or dismembered. Furthermore,
proportional representation of different
anatomical elements (e.g. leg bones,
skulls), can also point to patterns of
consumption and discard. Many of
these aspects are raised in the paper by
McGovern, Mainland and Amorosi
and illustrate the potential of their
study to understanding what and how
the people at Hofstaðir ate.
Archaeohotany
Plant remains, whether of wood,
stems, or seeds, can survive in
archaeological deposits in the right
conditions. At Hofstaðir, such remains
survive if they have been charred and
detailed study can provide species in-
formation and therefore give a sense
not only of the local vegetation but
also what was being utilised by the
community. The archaeobotanical
remains at Hofstaðir are being ana-
lysed by Garðar Guðmundsson, and
although not included among papers
120