Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.1998, Page 124

T. McGovern, I. Mainland & T. Amorosi
Preliminary Observations
Mavimal Bones
Domestic mammal bones made up a
major proportion of the excavated
bone material. These definitely includ-
ed remains of cattle (Bos taurus )
caprines (probably both sheep Ovis
aries and goat Capra hircus) as well as
smaller amounts of pig (Sus scrofa) and
horse (Equus caballus). An articulated
mouse skeleton (probably either
Apodemus sylvaticus or Mus muscul-
us, identification pending) and several
additional disarticulated mouse bones
indicate that accidentally introduced
anthropophilic mammal pests followed
the early settlers to Hofstaðir. Both
articulated and disarticulated mouse
bones are present in many house floor
and midden deposits in Greenland
(McGovern 1985).
It was noted by both Mainland and
McGovern that an apparently large
proportion of both the cattle and the
caprine bones were from neonatal (very
young) animals. One neonatal cattle
pes & metapodial (foot & cannon bone)
was found in articulation in 1996, a
commonly discarded butchery unit,
while in 1997, several articulations of
metapodials (cannon bones) and
phalanges (hooves) from both adult
and newborn sheep and goats were
recovered from all layers. A particular
concentration of articulated bones in
the C6hk layer directly above the C7
wall collapse (217/269-470) was re-
covered in 1997, including several
segments of lumbar and thoracic
caprine (sheep or goat) vertebrae, ar-
ticulated metapodials and phalanges,
and articulated tarsals (hock bones).
These same deposits included caprine
and pig mandibles and maxillae, and a
iarge number of fragmentary limb
bones. This dense concentration of
bone from multiple species and many
individuals (and including both
primary dismemberment waste and
„prime cuts“ showing evidence of
consumption) directly upon the wall
fall of the abandoned structure is sug-
gestive of some sort of discrete event.
Further excavation of these layers in
subsequent seasons and laboratory
analysis of the C6hk deposit may shed
light on the nature of this bone
concentration.
While a statistical analysis is
required, it seemed apparent that most
skeletal elements are present in the
deposits (not just either meat-poor or
meat rich elements) suggesting that
butchery and consumption probably
took place in the near vicinity of the
Area G midden fill. This pattern is
common on later sites throughout
Iceland (Amorosi 1996) and has been
observed in Greenland as well
(McGovern et al. 1996). Strategies of
butchery and food preparation do
require additional investigation
however, but it may be worth noting
the recovery of the earliest known
example of svið preparation of a sheep
skull from the North Atlantic area.
This distinctive cranial splitting has
been noted in many later medieval-
early modern Icelandic collections
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