Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2010, Qupperneq 62

RAMONA HARRISON
VikingAge and MedievalCaprine/CattleRatiosin Comparison
13thc.
Figure 6. Comparison of caprine/cattle ratios from various Viking Age and medieval Icelandic
sites. Higher bar indicates relatively more caprine bones present.
This increase in natural resources at
Skuggi is of a peculiar character: Although
the site physically had access to resources
in its very surroundings, it seems to not
have used the most obvious ones, but
rather was supplied or supplied itself with
marine species. More faunal data may
allow for a better understanding of these
shifting animal profiles. The various taxa
are discussed in more detail below.
The Skuggi data in a larger
context
Faunal and finds analyses of the Skuggi
archaeological materials have resulted in
several issues to be discussed. Here, they
are presented to promote discussion and
interest in this regional long-term
Eyjafjörður research investigation that
builds on other long-term, multi-scalar
regional projects that have already pro-
duced considerable results, as for exam-
ple the Landscapes of Settlement Project
in Mývatnssveit (i.e. McGovern et al.
2007, Lucas 2009).
Site placement
Was the Skuggi farm set up as a tenant
farm (kot) by a large land holder to occu-
py and use valuable grasslands for animal
fodder and a sizeable forest for (small
scale) iron working? As mentioned, the
site’s name may allude to a forested area
that was still well covered by trees in the
18th c.
The physical placement of Skuggi
fairly high up the rather steep mountain
slope around the limit of the more fertile
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