Bloody Slaughter
This article attempts an interpretation of an unusual assemblage of cattle skulls recovered from recent excavations at the Viking Age monumental hall of Hofstaðir in Iceland. Osteological analysis of the skulls indicates ritual decapitation and display of cattle heads, and this article seeks to expl...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.6067:XCV8G161R4_meta$v=1394239012520 |
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dataone:doi:10.6067:XCV8G161R4_meta$v-1394239012520 2024-06-03T18:46:57+00:00 Bloody Slaughter McGovern, Thomas (NABO and CUNY) 2014-03-08T00:36:52.52Z https://doi.org/10.6067:XCV8G161R4_meta$v=1394239012520 unknown the Digital Archaeological Record Dataset dataone:urn:node:TDAR https://doi.org/10.6067:XCV8G161R4_meta$v=1394239012520 2024-06-03T18:06:39Z This article attempts an interpretation of an unusual assemblage of cattle skulls recovered from recent excavations at the Viking Age monumental hall of Hofstaðir in Iceland. Osteological analysis of the skulls indicates ritual decapitation and display of cattle heads, and this article seeks to explore the meanings of this practice in relation to the context of the site and the wider historical and ethnographic literature. It is argued that the beheading of cattle and display of their heads was a part of sacrificial acts conducted on a seasonal basis at the site, and primarily in the context of feasting and socio-political gatherings. The gatherings acted simultaneously as a means of both dissipating social tension and enhancing political status Dataset Iceland the Digital Archaeological Record (via DataONE) Slaughter ENVELOPE(-85.633,-85.633,-78.617,-78.617) Hofstaðir ENVELOPE(-21.917,-21.917,64.083,64.083) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
the Digital Archaeological Record (via DataONE) |
op_collection_id |
dataone:urn:node:TDAR |
language |
unknown |
description |
This article attempts an interpretation of an unusual assemblage of cattle skulls recovered from recent excavations at the Viking Age monumental hall of Hofstaðir in Iceland. Osteological analysis of the skulls indicates ritual decapitation and display of cattle heads, and this article seeks to explore the meanings of this practice in relation to the context of the site and the wider historical and ethnographic literature. It is argued that the beheading of cattle and display of their heads was a part of sacrificial acts conducted on a seasonal basis at the site, and primarily in the context of feasting and socio-political gatherings. The gatherings acted simultaneously as a means of both dissipating social tension and enhancing political status |
format |
Dataset |
author |
McGovern, Thomas (NABO and CUNY) |
spellingShingle |
McGovern, Thomas (NABO and CUNY) Bloody Slaughter |
author_facet |
McGovern, Thomas (NABO and CUNY) |
author_sort |
McGovern, Thomas (NABO and CUNY) |
title |
Bloody Slaughter |
title_short |
Bloody Slaughter |
title_full |
Bloody Slaughter |
title_fullStr |
Bloody Slaughter |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bloody Slaughter |
title_sort |
bloody slaughter |
publisher |
the Digital Archaeological Record |
publishDate |
|
url |
https://doi.org/10.6067:XCV8G161R4_meta$v=1394239012520 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-85.633,-85.633,-78.617,-78.617) ENVELOPE(-21.917,-21.917,64.083,64.083) |
geographic |
Slaughter Hofstaðir |
geographic_facet |
Slaughter Hofstaðir |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.6067:XCV8G161R4_meta$v=1394239012520 |
_version_ |
1800873665677492224 |