The distribution of seabird wings recovered from Viking Age domestic midden deposits in Skagafjörður, North Iceland

Abstract

Bird bones from domestic midden deposits on Hegranes, North Iceland, dating from AD 870-1104, are mostly puffin (Fratercula arctica) and guillemot (Uria aalge)—diving seabirds in the Alcidae family. We find that Alcidae wings are significantly overrepresented compared to legs, and that in particular, proximal wing bones are systematically more common than if whole birds were deposited in the middens. Trends in the wing-leg index and distal wing index suggest that while bird bones are commonly recovered from these domestic middens and generally make up about a quarter of the faunal assemblages, there is evidence for specific species selection between puffin and guillemot. The disproportionate number of wings in the Viking Age middens points to some kind of deposition strategy that favors wings over other body parts. Birds seem to be much more common in Viking Age archaeofaunal assemblages from Hegranes than those from other parts of Iceland. All of this suggests that more specialized butchery and disposal practice is derived from specific cultural practices.