Cooperative

• Main Authors: Þingvellir Iceland, Thomas H. Mcgovern
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Caprine sp; The Ribs; Iceland
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.526.3620; http://www.nabohome.org/publications/labreports/Norsec26ThingveillirContexts06.pdf

In 2006 a small collection of animal bones (archaeofauna) was recovered from a pit fill from the farm and church site near the famous assembly site of Thingvellir in southern Iceland. The bone collection was from a it (context 714) and was associated with pieces of hack-silver and three silver coins of 11th century date. The analysis of the bone remains indicates that these were animal (not human) remains, and that sheep, pig, and a larger animal (probably cattle) were represented. The sheep and pig bones came exclusively from meat ch portions of the skeleton (shoulder and haunch) while the probable cattle bones appear to represent a segment of ribs and attached thoracic vertebrae. While the collection is small (88 bone fragments total) this pattern is suggestive of some sort of specialized deposit, especially seen in conjunction with the hack silver and coins. The bones in context [714] were in fair condition, although compressed tightly into a lump that needed to be carefully disaggregated. The lump proved to contain bone elements that could be identified securely as pig and as sheep (at lest two individuals). As usual, some bone fragments were assigned to the “caprine ” category, which could be from either sheep or goat. Other bone fragments (very small pieces and rib and vertebral fragments) were assigned to the “Large Terrestrial Mammal ” (Horse or Cattle sized) or “Medium Terrestrial Mammal ” (pig, sheep, goat, large dog sized). In this case, the ribs and vertebrae are almost certainly cattle rather than horse.