Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2013, Page 35

EXPLOITATION OF WILD BIRDS IN ICELAND FROM THE SETTLEMENT
PERIOD TO THE 19TH CENTURY AND ITS REFLECTION IN ARCHAEOLOGY
Coastal Sites Coastal Sites cont.
Latin Name English Name Distribution today NISP tota Latin Name English Name Distribution today NISP total
Anserinae sp. Goose sp. Various 224 Lagopus mula Ptarmigan Whole island 11
Anseriformes Goose or duck sp. Various 1 Falco rustícolus Gyrfalcon Whole island 3
Anser anser Greylag goose Coastal and heathland areas 8 Bubo scandiacus Snowy owl Central highlands 1
Anser anser domesticus Domestic goose Domestic 205 Gallus gallus Chicken Domestic 25
Branla sp. Biack goose sp. Various, migratory, rather rare 4 Aves sp. Indet. Unclear 3606
Branla letwopsis Bamacle goose Coastal and lowland areas, N and S

Cygnus sp. Swan sp. Coastai and heathland areas 3 Passeriformes Passerines, small Various 2
Cygnus cygnus Whooper swan Coastal and heatnland areas 1 Anserinae sp. Goose sp. Various 68
Cygnus olor (?) Mute swan Not found in Iceland 5 Anser anser Greylag goose Coastal and heathland areas 8
Anatidae sp. Duck sp. Various 27 Cygnus sp. Swan sp. Coastal and heathland areas 40
Anas platyrhynchos Mallard Coastal and heathland areas 21 Cygnus cygnus Whooper swan Coastal and heathland areas 2
Aythya sp. Scaup or Tufted duck Coastal and heathland areas, various 5 Anatidae sp. Duck sp. Various 21
Mergus merganser Common merganser Coastal and heathland areas 1 A nas platyrhynchos Mallard Coastal and heathland areas 17
Somateria mollissima Common eider duck Coastal areas 100 Aythya sp. Scaup or Tufted duck Coastal and heathland areas, various 9
Melanitta nigra Common scoter Mývatn+fewother northem lakes, rare 2 Aythya marilla Scaup Coastal and heathland, N, NE, W and S 4
Larus sp. Gull sp. Coastal areas 43 Mergus serralor Red-breasted merganse Coastal and heathland areas 2
I-ants canus Common gull Coastal areas 4 Clangula hyemalis Long tailed duck Coastal and heathland, rare in S+SE 4
I.ams argentatus Herring gull Coastal areas 16 Somateria sp. Eider duck Coastal areas 2
Ixtms marinus Greater black backed g Coastal areas 16 Bucephala tslandica Barrow's goldeneye Lakes and streams, mainly Mývatn+La? 2
Ixtrus glauscesens Glaucus gull Coastal areas 1 Melanitta nigra Common scoter Mývatn+few other northem lakes, rare 1
Rissa tridactyla Kittiwake Coastal areas 1 Podiceps auritus Slavonian grebe Lakes+ponds, mainly N and NE 3
Fulmaris glacialis Fulmar Coastal areas 15 Lams sp. Gull sp. Coastal areas 5
Gavia stellata Red throated diver Coastal and heathland areas 11 Gavia sp. Diver sp. Various 6
Alcidae sp. Auksp. Coastal areas, outerlying islands 7 Gavia immer Great n. diver Coastal and heathl., W+NE 3
Alca torda Razorbill Coastal areas, outerlying islands 17 Gavia stellata Red throated diver Coastal and heathland areas 1
Uria sp. Murre or guillemot Coastal areas, outerlying islands 477 Alca torda Razorbill Coastal areas, outerlying islands 3
Fratercula arctica PufTin Coastal areas, outerlying islands 742 Uria sp. Murre or guillemot Coastal areas, outerlying islands 21
Stercorarius skua Great skua Costal areas, mainly south-southeast 5 Uria aalge Guillemot Coastal aieas, outerlying islands 2
S, parasiticus Arctic skua Whole island 6 Fratercula arctica Puffm Coastal areas, outerlying islands 1
Moms hassanus Gannet Outerlying islands, mainland coast.a. rar 13 Allealle little auk Coastal a., northem Iceland, rare 3
Phalacrocoridae sp. Shag or cormorant Coastal areas, mainly west Iceland 17 Phalacrocoridae sp. Shag or cormorant Coastal areas, mainly W-Iceland 2
Phalacrocorax carbo Cormorant Coastal areas, mainly west Iceland 42 Phalacrocorax carbi Cormorant Coastal areas, mainly W-Iceland 1
P. aristotelis Shag Coastal areas, mainly west Iceland 70 C'haradridae sp. Waders Various 2
Rallus aquaticus Water rail Vlostly extinct in Iceland 1 '.agopus mula Ptarmigan Whole island 1192
Arenaria interpres Ruddy tumstone Coastal areas, migratory/winter 3 Corvus corax Raven Coastal areas and hcathlands 54
Pluvlalls sp. Plover sp. Various 7 Haliaeetus albicilla White Tailed Eagle West Iceland 2
Pluvialis apricaira Golden plover Whole island 1 Gallus gallus Chicken Domestic 3
Haematopus ostralegus Oystercatcher Coastal areas 1 Aves sp. Indet. Unclear 1629
Table 2 - Bird species and total NISP found in a few excavations in Iceland (from Hilmarsson
2000; Amundsen 2004; Edvardsson et al. 2004; Krivogorskaya et al. 2006; Harrison et al. 2008;
Hambrecht 2009; Lucas 2009; Hamilton-Dyer 2010; Harrison 2010; Hicks 2009).
sleeping on the sea and adult connorants
were hunted with nets in the wintertime.
On steep cliffs gull chicks were also
snared or taken with bare hands and their
necks broken (Kristjánsson 1986,228 and
231, 238-242 and 269-275). Finally we
cannot fail to mention the great auk
(geirfugl, Pinguinus impennis) that was
also chased down and clubbed to death.
This ease of capture eventually led to its
extinction in Iceland (and the world) in
1844 (Anonymous 1936, 186;
Kristjánsson 1986, 265).
Bones of many sea bird species
(mostly auk species, cormorants and
gulls) have been found by the coast (table
2), e.g. at Gásir (14th century) in
Eyjaijörður (Harrison et al. 2008, 112),
Stóraborg (medieval to early modem
contexts) in South Iceland (Hambrecht
2009, 20-22), Gjögur and Akurvík
(13th-15th c.) in Northwest Iceland
(Krivogorskaya et al. 2006, 384) and the
farm Miðbær on the island Flatey in
Breiðafjörður (Amundsen 2004,
204-207), but sea bird species have also
been found far inland albeit in small
numbers, e.g. at Hofstaðir (Murre or
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