Report of Animal Bones from Selhagi, Mývatn District, Northern Iceland

• Main Authors: McGovern, Thomas H., Perdikaris, Sophia
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 2003
• Subjects: Iceland; Mývatn; Zooarchaeology; Sustainable resource use; Animal Studies; Anthropology; Environmental Policy; Geography; International and Area Studies; Selhagi
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/global/17; https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/global/article/1016/viewcontent/Norsec7Selhagi.pdf

In 2001 the FSl / NABO project Landscapes of Settlement in Northern Iceland collected animal bones from a stratified midden deposit associated with the abandoned site Selhagi on the property of the modern farm Haganes. Selhagi is located in the lushly vegetated lakeshore zone and its environmental setting presents a strong contrast with the eroded uplands to the S of the lake where the early sites at Sveigakot and Hrísheimur are under excavation. Close to both major migratory waterfowl nesting areas and some of the best trout fishing in Iceland, the site would appear to be optimally located for exploitation of wild species. The Selhagi site had produced well preserved animal bone during small scale avocational excavations in the 1970’s and the major objective of the 2001 FSl /NABO investigations was to map the site and locate possible midden deposits for further work. The fully turf covered site appears to be a small multi-roomed structure with clearly defined room depressions and an apparent mound of midden material to the NW of the structure complex. Coring within the structure indicated that it was abandoned some time before the widespread AD 1477 ash fall and shows the presence of the 1104 and 1158 tephras as well. The midden team carried out a small-scale (2 x 2 m) stratigraphic test excavation which found well preserved animal bone in clearly stratified midden deposits that were definitely capped by the AD 1477 ash fall and probably also by a thinner 1300 tephra. Two AMS radiocarbon dates on cattle bone from the same context in the upper midden produce a closely consistent one sigma range from late 11th to mid 12th century. At base, the midden deposits directly overly the local variant of the “Landnám” tephra of c. AD 871. It would appear that Selhagi has a long occupational history extending from settlement times to the later 12th to early 13th century. An analysis of the animal bones recovered indicate the normal range of domesticates (cattle, sheep, goat, pig), substantial amounts of freshwater fish ...