Reindeer Physical Activity Patterns and Reconstruction of Feeding Behaviour: Implications for Reindeer Domestication and Human-Reindeer Interaction

Abstract

AbstractRecent developments in physical activity assessment of reindeer offer a possibility to identify reindeer activity in the archaeological record. These include species-specific muscle attachment site scoring, identification of activity-related pathologies, and bone biomechanical properties. In this paper, we employ entheseal site scoring to identify human influence in reindeer feeding patterns in archaeological assemblages from selected Sámi archaeological sites (offering site at Unna Saiva, market place at Markkina and town at Tornio) dating c. AD 1200–1800 in view of reindeer domestication. Entheseal changes was scored in muscles attachment sites of proximal radius, previously observed to reflect feeding (digging for lichen from under the snow in winter versus being fed). The observed entheseal scores were compared to the modern reindeer collection containing fed (zoo) and non-fed (free-ranging) reindeer. The comparison of observed entheses between groups suggested that the entheseal changes observed from the reindeer at the Sámi offering site at Unna Saiva indicated towards reduced intensity of digging for lichen, probably because they received additional winter fodder. This is supported by stable isotope data suggesting human influence in their diets. Entheseal scores from the other sites did not indicate winter feeding. However, the smaller average size of reindeer from these sites may bias the results. These results suggest that supplementary winter feeding was practiced by (some) early Sámi reindeer herders. Our results further emphasize the relevance of entheseal variation of archaeological reindeer bone to infer feeding behaviour and domestication status of reindeer, especially when used in conjunction with other data.KeywordsReindeerEntheseal changesFeedingSámi