Changes in the size and shape of domestic mammals across the North Atlantic region over time : the effects of environment and economy on bone growth of livestock from the Neolithic to the post-medieval period, with particular reference to the Scandinavian expansion westwards
A large database of domestic mammal bone measurements from sites across Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland is presented. The reasons for variations in bone growth of domestic ungulates are examined in detail; nutrition is identified as a key factor in the determination of adult bone size and shape. Possible sources of variation in bone size in both time and space in the North Atlantic region are identified. Four hypotheses are proposed; firstly that bone dimensions, particularly breadth, will decrease with increasing latitude in the study region; secondly that higher status sites will raise larger livestock than lower status sites within the same time period and region; thirdly the size of domestic mammals in the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland will increase in the Later Iron Age, possibly in relation to increased fodder supply; finally at times of environmental degradation (climatic and/or landscape) domestic mammal size will decrease. The latitude hypothesis could only be partly upheld; there is no evidence for increased size with site status; a small increase in size is noted at some Scottish Iron Age sites and varying results are found for the environmental
Cussans, Julia Elise
Archaeology ; Archaeozoology ; Sheep ; Biometry ; Growth ; Nutrition ; North Atlantic ; Climate ; Iron Age ; Norse ; Mammal bones ; Greenland ; Iceland ; Faroe Islands ; Northern and Western Isles of Scotland
Changes in the size and shape of domestic mammals across the North Atlantic region over time : the effects of environment and economy on bone growth of livestock from the Neolithic to the post-medieval period, with particular reference to the Scandinavian expansion westwards. A large database of domestic mammal bone measurements from sites across Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland is presented. The reasons for variations in bone growth of domestic ungulates are examined in detail; nutrition is identified as a key factor in the determination of adult bone size and shape. Possible sources of variation in bone size in both time and space in the North Atlantic region are identified. Four hypotheses are proposed; firstly that bone dimensions, particularly breadth, will decrease with increasing latitude in the study region; secondly that higher status sites will raise larger livestock than lower status sites within the same time period and region; thirdly the size of domestic mammals in the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland will increase in the Later Iron Age, possibly in relation to increased fodder supply; finally at times of environmental degradation (climatic and/or landscape) domestic mammal size will decrease. The latitude hypothesis could only be partly upheld; there is no evidence for increased size with site status; a small increase in size is noted at some Scottish Iron Age sites and varying results are found for the environmental
changes size_shape domestic mammal across north_atlantic region time effect environment economy bone growth livestock neolithic post_medieval_period particular_reference scandinavian expansion westward large_database domestic mammal bone measurement sit across iceland islands northern western_isles scotland present reason variation bone growth domestic ungulate examine_detail nutrition identify key_factor determination adult bone size_shape possible source variation bone size time_space north_atlantic region identify hypothesis_propose firstly bone dimension particularly breadth decrease increase latitude study region secondly high_status site raise large livestock lower status site within time_period region thirdly size domestic mammal northern western_isles scotland increase possibly relation increase fodder supply finally time environmental degradation climatic and landscape domestic mammal size decrease latitude hypothesis could partly uphold evidence increase size site status small increase size note scottish_iron_age site vary find environmental