Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2013, Page 30

SÓLVEIG GUÐMUNDSDÓTTIR BECK
EXPLOITATION OF WILD BIRDS IN ICELAND
FROM THE SETTLEMENT
PERIOD TO THE 19TH CENTURY AND ITS
REFLECTION IN ARCHAEOLOGY
Wild birds have been exploited in Iceland since the settlement period but this
activity has been given little attention in Icelandic archaeology. The aim of this
article is to give an overview of the practicalities of hunting, processing,
consumption and export of wild birds and feathers and to explore how these past
industries are, and could be, represented in the archaeological record. The most
common seabirds hunted were alcids, gannets, fulmars, cormorants and gulls but
common inland birds utilized were ducks, geese, swans and ptarmigans. Eider duck
colonies were a valuable source of down and Gyrfalcons were exported on wing for
use in hunting games and as diplomatic gifts. Most of the information gathered from
Icelandic sources comes from the 17th century onwards up to the 20th century, with
foreign sources as support to fill in the gaps where possible.
Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir Beck
Ph.D. student at the University oflceland
Email: sgb8@hi.is
Keywords: Archaeology, Hunting, Meat, Feathers, Bones
Introduction
In the last decade at least, archaeological
research in Iceland has gathered a lot of
momentum and intemational cooperation
e.g. with America, Scandinavia and
Europe is growing by leaps and bounds.
Regrettably many foreign researchers
often hit a wall in the form of the Icelandic
language, which is a big problem, as
Icelandic literature contains a
smorgasbord of information on the
nation’s culture and history that no
archaeologist can afford to miss. The main
focus of this article will be to present some
general information collected from the
Icelandic literature about the exploitation
of wild birds with the aid of foreign
sources to fill in the gaps where possible.
The practicalities of bird exploitation will
be discussed (excluding egg harvesting);
how they were acquired, what kind of
work was needed to process them, which
parts were exported and what the
commodities were possibly used for. All
the information will then be used to
explore how these past industries are, and
could be, represented in the
archaeological record. All over the world
bird populations have been exploited for
food, clothing, tools and even spirimal
purposes since the dawn of mankind (see
e.g. Roth and Merz eds. 1997, Berglund
2009, Mannermaa 2008 and Hanson
2011). Many bird species are still being
exploited for food and feathers today but
fortunately in many places through
ARCHAEOLOGIA ISLANDICA 10 (2013) 28-52