ARCTIC Zooarchaeological Implications for Prehistoric Distributions of Seabirds along the Norwegian Coast
ABSTRACT. Investigation of the temporal and spatial distributions of zooarchaeological material can aid in understanding of the palaeoecology of nonhuman and human species. Northern gannets (Sula bassanas) and northern fulmars (Fulmarusglacialis) were first documented to breed in Norway during the p...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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1989
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.547.3444 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic43-2-110.pdf |
| Summary: | ABSTRACT. Investigation of the temporal and spatial distributions of zooarchaeological material can aid in understanding of the palaeoecology of nonhuman and human species. Northern gannets (Sula bassanas) and northern fulmars (Fulmarusglacialis) were first documented to breed in Norway during the present century. Skeletal remains of gannets and fulmars uncovered at Norwegian archaeological sites have been dated from approximately 7000 to 800 B.F. and from about 30 O00 to 400 B.P. respectively. The modal occurrence of gannet specimens was 6000-5000 B.P. and that of fulmar material was 2000-1000 B.P., suggesting that in the postglacial period most gannets occurred in Norwegian waters earlier than did most fulmars. Recovered fulmar bones greatly outnumber those of gannets, a pattern consistent with relative abundances in Norwegian waters today, but one that might also reflect differential accessibility and/or prey preferences of previous coastal inhabitants. Proportionally more of the fulmar material was uncovered at proportionally more sites in North Norway, findings consistent with current species ’ distributions and with speculation of similar oceanographic conditions in previous millenia. Key words: climatology, northern fulmar (Fulrnarus glacialis), northern gannet (Sula bassanas), Norway, palaeoecology, seabirds, zooarchaeology RCSUMÉ. La recherche sur la distribution temporelle et spatiale de matériau zooarchéologique peut aiderà comprendre la paléoécologiedes espèces non humaines et humaines. On a établi pour la première fois au cours de ce siècle que le fou de Bassan (Sula bassanas) et le fulmar boréal (Fulmarus glacialis) se reproduisaient déjà en Norvège à une époque reculée. On a en effet découvert dans des sites archéologiques de Norvège, des restes de |
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