Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.1998, Page 126

T. McGovern, I. Mainland & T. Amorosi
salmonid fish (not surprising consider-
ing the proximity of the Laxá).
Salmonid bones have been recovered
from other sites in Iceland (Amorosi
1996) but never before in this quantity.
Also present in smaller numbers
were vertebrae of salt water fish from
the gadid (cod) family. Further analysis
is required, but these appear to mainly
derive from the lower body and tail of
these fish. Head bones (including the
very durable mouth parts) are very
rare, except for the cleithrum, which
was present in some numbers. Cleithra
were often attached to prepared, dried
físh and a recent study (Perdikaris
1996) indicates that such specially
prepared dried gadid fish were a major
element of production in North
Norway back to the Iron Age. The in-
land animal bone collection from the
site of Granastaðir excavated by Dr.
Bjarni Einarsson (see Amorosi & Mc-
Govern 1994) contained a surprisingly
large number of Atlantic cod (Gadus
morhua) and gadid bone remains.
Were early settlers of interior Iceland
following a long-established practice
in provisioning households with dried
gadid físh?
Mollusca
Shellfish remains were recovered from
the midden fill of Area G in surprising
number. While laboratory work is
again required, shells of both the clam
(Cyprinea islandica) and the blue mus-
sel (Mytilus edulis) were field
identified (the former with the help of
Paul Buckland and Arni Einarsson).
The mussels were mainly very small
individuals (< 2 cm) and their pres-
ence at Hofstaðir is hard to explain.
Such individuals are sometimes
accidentally collected with seaweed.
Further investigation of the molluscan
fauna should prove interesting.
Future Analyses
The Hofstaðir bone collection is being
analyzed at the Bioarchaeology Labora-
tory of Hunter College of the City
University of New York (CUNY) and
at the Archaeozoology Laboratory of
the Department of Archaeology &
Prehistory, University of Sheffield. All
materials will then be returned to
Iceland for permanent curation. The
Hunter team will perform the initial
taxonomic sorting, coding the differ-
ent taxa for element, part, fusion/
eruption state, burning, tooth mark-
ing, and other traits. Selected elements
will be measured to reconstruct live
stature (live length in fish) and cut
marks and any pathologies will be
documented. All data will be archived
in the common NABO zooarchaeology
database in New York and in Reykja-
vík (Icelandic Museum of Natural
History, Institute of Archaeology in
Iceland, National Museum of Iceland).
Selected teeth and long bones will
be sectioned and investigated for
annular and sub-annular growth
structures at the new Hunter MIAFAS
(Microscopy and Image Analysis
Facility in the Anthropological Sci-
ences) linked computer/light micro-
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