Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2015, Page 59

Scott Riddell
HARP SEALSIN THEICELANDIC ARCHAEOFAUNA:
SEAICE AND HARD TIMES?
The presence of harp seal Pagophilus groenlandicus bone in Icelandic archaeofaunas
has been interpreted as indicative of sea ice incidence and of “hard times”
provisioning in Iceland’s past. However, recent surveys of harp seals have shown
that they can occur in Icelandic coastal waters even though sea ice is absent while
historical sources suggest that harp seal hunting was not passively dependent upon
the occurrence of sea ice. Therefore, harp seal distribution requires consideration of
other variables beyond that of sea ice incidence in order to explain the presence of
harp seals in archaeological contexts e.g. population recruitment or prey items such
as capelin. The early 14th century appears to witness a genuine alteration in harp seal
distribution and/or migratory habits in Icelandic waters. This may either be linked
to alterations in the distribution of capelin driven by the onset of the Little Ice Age
or a more localised population increase linked to decadal fluctuations of the North
Atlantic Oscillation.
Keywords: Harp seal, Pagophilus groenlandicus, Phoca groenlandica, sea ice,
zooarchaeology, Iceland
Scott Riddell, University oflceland, Reykjavík, Iceland. Email: sjr3@hi.is
Introduction
Archaeological excavation has demon-
strated that the exploitation of seals and
other wild resources was an important as-
pect of the subsistence strategies adopted
by settlers during the initial colonisation
of Iceland from c. 871 (Amorosi 1990).
Early inland and coastal sites with marine
mammal, bird and fish bone assemblages
also reveal that regional provisioning net-
works existed between the coast and inte-
rior (Vésteinsson et al. 2002; McGovern et
al. 2006). Evidence that sealing remained
important in Iceland following settlement
is apparent from the wealth of documenta-
ry evidence available from the 12th century
onwards e.g. Diplomaticum islandicum and
Archaeologia Islandica 11 (2015) 57-72