Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2010, Page 99

RECONSTRUCTING ASPECTS OF THE DAILY LIFE IN LATE 19TH AND EARLY
20TH-CENTURY ICELAND: ARCHAEOENTOMOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE
VATNSFÖRÐUR FARM, NW ICELAND
with hay storage. These species prolifer-
ate in organic matter and are very likely
to have colonized the sediments that were
just under the stored hay. This warm
environmental setting likely favoured the
accumulation of decomposing debris.
The high numbers of lathridiids also sug-
gest a moist environment.
Sample S-516 also contained one
human louse and 13 fleas. Since these
were present in limited quantities, it is
possible that they were the result of acci-
dental transport. Another possibility is
that the fleas were feeding on the blood
of small rodents, cats, or dogs that may
have been present in the hay store.
Disposal of domestic wastes is also sug-
gested by the presence of burnt bone
fragments and charcoal in the sediment.
Context B: Floor 7512
The floor deposit 7512 overlay floor
7531. It was composed of compact turf
mixed with silt and birch twigs. During
its excavation, it was interpreted as being
the remains of smithy activities, due to
the significant accumulations of charcoal
and slag in the deposit’s matrix.
The archaeoentomological assem-
blage from this context (sample S-504)
includes ectoparasites, insects associated
with mouldy hay, with organic matter,
and outdoor insects (Fig. 9). Even though
this archaeoentomological assemblage
does not suggest a particular function for
the room at the time of floor 7512’s for-
mation, they do indicate the presence of
organic matter. If this floor layer was cre-
ated simultaneously with blacksmithing
activities, it is possible that the organic
signal provided by the beetles represent
the presence of fuel materials. Peat, dung
and wood were used in Iceland as fuel
since the time of settlement (Simpson et
al. 2003). The diving beetle Hydroporus
nigrita in this sample further suggests
^ Ectoparasites
□ Fauna associated with
organic matter
■ Outdoor fauna
B Pests of stored
products
□ Dung feeders
® Fauna associated with
mouldy hay
Figure 9. Distribution of insects from Context B according to their ecologicalpreferences.
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