Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland
Objectives: A previous multi-isotope study of archaeological faunal samples from Skútustaðir, an early Viking age settlement on the southern shores of Lake Mývatn in north-east Iceland, demonstrated that there are clear differences in δ34S stable isotope values between animals deriving their dietary...
Published in: | American Journal of Physical Anthropology |
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Online Access: | http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/ http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/1/114149.pdf http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/2/114149Suppl.pdf |
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ftuglasgow:oai:eprints.gla.ac.uk:114149 2023-05-15T16:48:34+02:00 Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland Sayle, Kerry L. Hamilton, W. Derek Cook, Gordon T. Ascough, Philippa L. Gestsdóttir, Hildur McGovern, Thomas H. 2016 text http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/ http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/1/114149.pdf http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/2/114149Suppl.pdf en eng Wiley http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/1/114149.pdf http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/2/114149Suppl.pdf Sayle, K. L. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/8948.html> , Hamilton, W. D. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/16211.html> , Cook, G. T. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/5255.html> , Ascough, P. L. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/11034.html> , Gestsdóttir, H. and McGovern, T. H. (2016) Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland. American Journal of Physical Anthropology <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/American_Journal_of_Physical_Anthropology.html>, 160(1), pp. 126-136. (doi:10.1002/ajpa.22939 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22939>) (PMID:26799531) Articles PeerReviewed 2016 ftuglasgow https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22939 2020-01-10T01:02:08Z Objectives: A previous multi-isotope study of archaeological faunal samples from Skútustaðir, an early Viking age settlement on the southern shores of Lake Mývatn in north-east Iceland, demonstrated that there are clear differences in δ34S stable isotope values between animals deriving their dietary protein from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine reservoirs. The aim of this study was to use this information to more accurately determine the diet of humans excavated from a nearby late Viking age churchyard. Materials and Methods: δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S analyses were undertaken on terrestrial animal (n = 39) and human (n = 46) bone collagen from Hofstaðir, a high-status Viking-period farmstead ∼10 km north-west of Skútustaðir. Results: δ34S values for Hofstaðir herbivores were ∼6‰ higher relative to those from Skútustaðir (δ34S: 11.4 ± 2.3‰ versus 5.6 ± 2.8‰), while human δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values were broad ranging (−20.2‰ to −17.3‰, 7.4‰ to 12.3‰, and 5.5‰ to 14.9‰, respectively). Discussion: Results suggest that the baseline δ34S value for the Mývatn region is higher than previously predicted due to a possible sea-spray effect, but the massive deposition of Tanytarsus gracilentus (midges) (δ34S: −3.9‰) in the soil in the immediate vicinity of the lake is potentially lowering this value. Several terrestrial herbivores displayed higher bone collagen δ34S values than their contemporaries, suggesting trade and/or movement of animals to the region from coastal areas. Broad ranging δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values for humans suggest the population were consuming varied diets, while outliers within the dataset could conceivably have been migrants to the area. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Mývatn University of Glasgow: Enlighten - Publications Hofstaðir ENVELOPE(-21.917,-21.917,64.083,64.083) Mývatn ENVELOPE(-16.985,-16.985,65.600,65.600) Skútustaðir ENVELOPE(-17.029,-17.029,65.564,65.564) American Journal of Physical Anthropology 160 1 126 136 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Glasgow: Enlighten - Publications |
op_collection_id |
ftuglasgow |
language |
English |
description |
Objectives: A previous multi-isotope study of archaeological faunal samples from Skútustaðir, an early Viking age settlement on the southern shores of Lake Mývatn in north-east Iceland, demonstrated that there are clear differences in δ34S stable isotope values between animals deriving their dietary protein from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine reservoirs. The aim of this study was to use this information to more accurately determine the diet of humans excavated from a nearby late Viking age churchyard. Materials and Methods: δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S analyses were undertaken on terrestrial animal (n = 39) and human (n = 46) bone collagen from Hofstaðir, a high-status Viking-period farmstead ∼10 km north-west of Skútustaðir. Results: δ34S values for Hofstaðir herbivores were ∼6‰ higher relative to those from Skútustaðir (δ34S: 11.4 ± 2.3‰ versus 5.6 ± 2.8‰), while human δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values were broad ranging (−20.2‰ to −17.3‰, 7.4‰ to 12.3‰, and 5.5‰ to 14.9‰, respectively). Discussion: Results suggest that the baseline δ34S value for the Mývatn region is higher than previously predicted due to a possible sea-spray effect, but the massive deposition of Tanytarsus gracilentus (midges) (δ34S: −3.9‰) in the soil in the immediate vicinity of the lake is potentially lowering this value. Several terrestrial herbivores displayed higher bone collagen δ34S values than their contemporaries, suggesting trade and/or movement of animals to the region from coastal areas. Broad ranging δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values for humans suggest the population were consuming varied diets, while outliers within the dataset could conceivably have been migrants to the area. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sayle, Kerry L. Hamilton, W. Derek Cook, Gordon T. Ascough, Philippa L. Gestsdóttir, Hildur McGovern, Thomas H. |
spellingShingle |
Sayle, Kerry L. Hamilton, W. Derek Cook, Gordon T. Ascough, Philippa L. Gestsdóttir, Hildur McGovern, Thomas H. Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland |
author_facet |
Sayle, Kerry L. Hamilton, W. Derek Cook, Gordon T. Ascough, Philippa L. Gestsdóttir, Hildur McGovern, Thomas H. |
author_sort |
Sayle, Kerry L. |
title |
Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland |
title_short |
Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland |
title_full |
Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland |
title_fullStr |
Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland |
title_sort |
deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the viking age settlement at hofstaðir, lake mývatn, iceland |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/ http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/1/114149.pdf http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/2/114149Suppl.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-21.917,-21.917,64.083,64.083) ENVELOPE(-16.985,-16.985,65.600,65.600) ENVELOPE(-17.029,-17.029,65.564,65.564) |
geographic |
Hofstaðir Mývatn Skútustaðir |
geographic_facet |
Hofstaðir Mývatn Skútustaðir |
genre |
Iceland Mývatn |
genre_facet |
Iceland Mývatn |
op_relation |
http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/1/114149.pdf http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/114149/2/114149Suppl.pdf Sayle, K. L. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/8948.html> , Hamilton, W. D. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/16211.html> , Cook, G. T. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/5255.html> , Ascough, P. L. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/11034.html> , Gestsdóttir, H. and McGovern, T. H. (2016) Deciphering diet and monitoring movement: multiple stable isotope analysis of the Viking Age settlement at Hofstaðir, Lake Mývatn, Iceland. American Journal of Physical Anthropology <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/American_Journal_of_Physical_Anthropology.html>, 160(1), pp. 126-136. (doi:10.1002/ajpa.22939 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22939>) (PMID:26799531) |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22939 |
container_title |
American Journal of Physical Anthropology |
container_volume |
160 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
126 |
op_container_end_page |
136 |
_version_ |
1766038646965665792 |