Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2009, Page 60

Elizabeth Pierce
Figure 2 — Best-preserved tusk (SF 355) of the three walrus tusks found at in the VikingAge hall
at Aðalstræti in 2001. Note the nearly complete root. Photo courtesy ofTom McGovern
337 & 355); the enamel of the third (SF
388) had disintegrated too much to iden-
tify any existing tool marks (McGovern
2001: 107; T. McGovern, pers. comm.).
None of the tusks had survived to their
original length (McGovem 2001: 106-
107). The two tusks displaying tool marks
had the hollow root section preserved
and were missing the parts of the tusk
tips, while the third retained most of its
tip but was missing much of the root
(McGovem 2001: 106). They represent
some of the earliest and largest pieces of
walms ivory in Iceland and Greenland,
stratigraphically dated to AD 950-1050
(McGovem 2001: 108; Roberts 2001:
37). Given that the date spans the discov-
ery and settlement of Greenland, the
tusks are most likely Icelandic in origin.
The tusks would have had market value
as a raw material because they were
deposited just as Europe was beginning
to demand more ivory, so it is surprising
that three complete, or nearly complete,
Figure 3 - Tool marks above the
gum line of SF 355, a preserved
walrus tusk from Aðalstrœti. The
removal of the tusks from the
skulls was skillfully done. Photo
courtesy of Tom McGovern
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