The booklet was written to accompany the exhibition Looking In From The Edge - The Hanse in the N... more The booklet was written to accompany the exhibition Looking In From The Edge - The Hanse in the North Atlantic, which will be shown at the German Maritime Museum (DSM), Leibniz Institute for Maritime History, from 24 March 2023 until Spring 2024. From November 2023, parallel exhibitions will also be held at the Stromness Museum in Orkney, and at the Shetland Museum and Archives. These exhibitions are in turn part of the international and interdisciplinary research project Looking In From The Edge (LIFTE). In addition to the two editors of this volume (Bart Holterman and Philipp Grassel), researchers from the University of Tübingen – Department of Medieval Archaeology, Lincoln University in England and the Scottish University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Orkney College are involved in the project. All chapters included in this book were written by members of the project. The LIFTE project is concerned with what is nowadays still a remote region on the fringes of Europe: the British Orkney and Shetland Islands. Despite (or perhaps because of) their location on the edge of Europe, these British Northern Isles today attract thousands of tourists each year and constitute anchor points for the oil and offshore industries in the North Sea. But they have been the destination of Hanseatic merchants, English and Scottish traders and herring fishers from Holland in the Middle Ages and the early modern period.
Full ref: Harland, JF. 2012. ‘Animal husbandry: The Mammal bone’, in Barrett, J. (ed.) 2012. Bein... more Full ref: Harland, JF. 2012. ‘Animal husbandry: The Mammal bone’, in Barrett, J. (ed.) 2012. Being an Islander. Production and Identity at Quoygrew, Orkney, AD 900-1600. Cambridge: MacDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 139-154
Full reference: Harland, JH, RA Bennett, JI Andrews, T O’Connor and JH Barrett. 2012. ‘Fowling: T... more Full reference: Harland, JH, RA Bennett, JI Andrews, T O’Connor and JH Barrett. 2012. ‘Fowling: The Bird Bone’ in Barrett, J. (ed.) 2012. Being an Islander. Production and Identity at Quoygrew, Orkney, AD 900-1600. Cambridge: MacDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 155-159
Full reference: Barrett, JH and JF Harland. 2012. 'Chapter 5: Ecofact Recovery and Patterns of De... more Full reference: Barrett, JH and JF Harland. 2012. 'Chapter 5: Ecofact Recovery and Patterns of Deposition', in JH Barrett (ed) Being an Islander: Production and Identity at Quoygrew, Orkney, AD 900-1600. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 97-102
FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF and JH Barrett (2012). ‘Chapter 7: The Maritime Economy, Fish Bone’, i... more FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF and JH Barrett (2012). ‘Chapter 7: The Maritime Economy, Fish Bone’, in JH Barrett (ed.) Being an Islander: Production and identity at Quoygrew, Orkney, AD 900-1600, Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research: 115-138.
FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF and RL Parks (2009). ‘The Fish Remains’, in A Ritchie (ed.) On the fri... more FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF and RL Parks (2009). ‘The Fish Remains’, in A Ritchie (ed.) On the fringe of Neolithic Europe: Excavation of a chambered cairn on the Holm of Papa Westray, Orkney, Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Aerial view of Grand Arcade, facing northwest, with outlines of areas of investigation and variou... more Aerial view of Grand Arcade, facing northwest, with outlines of areas of investigation and various features shown. Compare to fig. 1.11E (photograph courtesy of Bovis Lend Lease Ltd.). On the back cover: View of the excavation of the main area at Grand Arcade, facing west. Edited for the Institute by James Barrett (Series Editor). v Contents Contributors ix Figures xi Tables xv Chapter 1 Introduction (C. Cessford and A. Dickens) S1 Previous archaeological investigations S1 Tenement narratives, a partial critique S4 Chapter 2 Preludes: prehistoric to early twelfth century (C. Cessford) S5 Geology and topography S5 Soils of Cambridge and its immediate environs: insights from CAU excavations S5 Prehistoric material S7 Roman material S8 Early and Middle Anglo-Saxon material S9 Late Saxon activity S9 The Hadstock Way S10 Features associated with the mid to late eleventh-century dispersed occupation S10 Features associated with the early twelfth-century large-scale imposed layout S12 Other twelfth-century ditches S13 Chapter 3 The Kings Ditch: from Anarchy to alleyway (C. Cessford) S17 Previous investigations S17 The 2005-6 excavations S18 Phase 4: late eighteenth-early twenty-first century S19 Chapter 4 The early suburb: mid-twelfth to sixteenth century (C. Cessford) S27 Archaeological remains: mid-late twelfth century S27 Archaeological remains: thirteenth-fourteenth centuries S33 Archaeological remains: fifteenth-sixteenth centuries S45 Material culture S62 Economic and environmental data S68 Chapter 5 From suburb to shopping centre: seventeenth to twenty-first century (C. Cessford and A. Dickens) S147 Tenement naratives: seventeenth century S147 Tenement narratives: eighteenth century S153 Tenement narratives: nineteenth century S163 Tenement narratives: twentieth century S190 Tenement narratives: the Robert Sayle department store S193 Material culture S200 Economic and environmental data S213 Chapter 6 Wider environs (R. Newman) S535 The Christ's Land development S535
Easily preserved and high in energy, butter was a reliable foodstuff during the medieval period f... more Easily preserved and high in energy, butter was a reliable foodstuff during the medieval period for northerners vulnerable to short growing seasons and occasional crop failure. This chapter assesses the value of butter as commodity-money in late Viking Age and medieval Orkney, and advances new methodologies to aid the identification of perishable foodstuffs used in payments. It reviews documentary evidence for payments in butter, which indicates that farms produced butter not only to meet their own needs, but also to pay taxes, rents, and tithes. It then proposes a means of identifying butter payment in the archaeological record. It argues that zooarchaeological and other bioarchaeological evidence from excavated farm sites can elucidate the strategies employed in raising dairy animals, allowing the identification of sites that probably produced high quantities of butter. This is demonstrated through an investigation of local subsistence strategies at Quoygrew, a settlement of farme...
Despite an excellent sampling programme and good recovery of environmental materials, fish remain... more Despite an excellent sampling programme and good recovery of environmental materials, fish remains and marine shells are rare at the Ness of Brodgar. Bone and shell preservation on site are less than ideal, but the presence of extensive mammal bone deposits makes it clear that this pattern is not simply an artefact of survival. Work on the mammal bone has allowed investigation of many aspects of human-animal interac- tions, including diet, economy, wild resource use, and the non-dietary significance of animals. Against that background, the low frequency of fish remains and marine shells poses important questions. Is the lack of fish simply a recovery bias, or does it indicate a true avoidance of fish in the Neolithic diet? If so, why were people not eating marine or freshwater resources? Are the few fish that we have found definitely the result of human activity, or could there be other explanations for their presence? Contextual and comparative evi- dence can be used to help explore these questions, alongside analyses of the bones and shells themselves.
Free to view here: https://rdcu.be/bRdUz
Measurement comparisons of ancient and modern carp pu... more Free to view here: https://rdcu.be/bRdUz
Measurement comparisons of ancient and modern carp push back the initial stages of aquaculture to 6000 BC, raising the possibility that rice paddy and fish co-culture systems are much older than previously thought. This research suggests carp were later independently domesticated twice, once in Europe and once in Asia.
Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Eur... more Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Europe beginning in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. We use stable isotope signatures from 300 archaeological cod (Gadus morhua) bones to determine whether this sea fishing revolution resulted from increased local fishing or the introduction of preserved fish transported from distant waters such as Arctic Norway, Iceland and/or the Northern Isles of Scotland (Orkney and Shetland). Results from 12 settlements in England and Flanders (Belgium) indicate that catches were initially local. Between the 9th and 12th centuries most bones represented fish from the southern North Sea. Conversely, by the 13th to 14th centuries demand was increasingly met through long distance transport e signalling the onset of the globalisation of commercial fisheries and suggesting that cities such as London quickly outgrew the capacity of local fish supplies.
Although recent historical ecology studies have extended quantitative knowledge of eastern Baltic... more Although recent historical ecology studies have extended quantitative knowledge of eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) exploitation back as far as the 16th century, the historical origin of the modern fishery remains obscure. Widespread archaeological evidence for cod consumption around the eastern Baltic littoral emerges around the 13th century, three centuries before systematic documentation, but it is not clear whether this represents (1) development of a substantial eastern Baltic cod fishery, or (2) large-scale importation of preserved cod from elsewhere. To distinguish between these hypotheses we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to determine likely catch regions of 74 cod vertebrae and cleithra from 19 Baltic archaeological sites dated from the 8th to the 16th centuries. d 13 C and d 15 N signatures for six possible catch regions were established using a larger sample of archaeological cod cranial bones (n = 249). The data strongly support the second hypothesis, revealing widespread importation of cod during the 13th to 14th centuries, most of it probably from Arctic Norway. By the 15th century, however, eastern Baltic cod dominate within our sample, indicating the development of a substantial late medieval fishery. Potential human impact on cod stocks in the eastern Baltic must thus be taken into account for at least the last 600 years. Citation: Orton DC, Makowiecki D, de Roo T, Johnstone C, Harland J, et al. (2011) Stable Isotope Evidence for Late Medieval (14th-15th C) Origins of the Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua) Fishery. PLoS ONE 6(11): e27568.
This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region o... more This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region of catch of cod by analysing bones from medieval settlements in northern and western Europe. It measures the δ13C and δ15N values of cod bone collagen from medieval control samples collected from sites around Arctic Norway, the North Sea, the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea. These data were considered likely to differ by region due to, for example, variation in the length of the food chain, water temperature and salinity. We find ...
In this volume of Trabalhos do LARC we present the Program and Abstracts of the 18th biennial mee... more In this volume of Trabalhos do LARC we present the Program and Abstracts of the 18th biennial meeting of
the International Council for Archaeozoology - Fish Remains Working Group (ICAZ-FRWG), hosted by the
Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage - Archaeosciences Laboratory (DGPC - LARC) and the Research
Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources – Environmental Archaeology Research Group (CIBIO -
EnvArch).
The meeting is aimed primarily for archaeozoologists interested in the systematic study of fish bones
retrieved from archaeological sites around the world, and also to archaeologists, ichthyologists, historians,
ethnographers, and fishery biologists. To this end the conference is structured to encompass a multiplicity
of approaches to the study of fish remains and their contribution to our understanding of how fishing, fish
trade, fish consumption, biodiversity, ecology and human impact on aquatic environments have changed
through time.
Although recent historical ecology studies have extended quantitative knowledge of eastern Baltic... more Although recent historical ecology studies have extended quantitative knowledge of eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) exploitation back as far as the 16th century, the historical origin of the modern fishery remains obscure. Widespread archaeological evidence for cod consumption around the eastern Baltic littoral emerges around the 13th century, three centuries before systematic documentation, but it is not clear whether this represents (1) development of a substantial eastern Baltic cod fishery, or (2) large-scale importation of preserved cod from elsewhere. To distinguish between these hypotheses we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to determine likely catch regions of 74 cod vertebrae and cleithra from 19 Baltic archaeological sites dated from the 8th to the 16th centuries. d 13 C and d 15 N signatures for six possible catch regions were established using a larger sample of archaeological cod cranial bones (n = 249). The data strongly support the second hypothesis, revealing widespread importation of cod during the 13th to 14th centuries, most of it probably from Arctic Norway. By the 15th century, however, eastern Baltic cod dominate within our sample, indicating the development of a substantial late medieval fishery. Potential human impact on cod stocks in the eastern Baltic must thus be taken into account for at least the last 600 years. Citation: Orton DC, Makowiecki D, de Roo T, Johnstone C, Harland J, et al. (2011) Stable Isotope Evidence for Late Medieval (14th-15th C) Origins of the Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua) Fishery. PLoS ONE 6(11): e27568.
Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Eur... more Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Europe beginning in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. We use stable isotope signatures from 300 archaeological cod (Gadus morhua) bones to determine whether this sea fishing revolution resulted from increased local fishing or the introduction of preserved fish transported from distant waters such as Arctic Norway, Iceland and/or the Northern Isles of Scotland (Orkney and Shetland). Results from 12 settlements in England and Flanders (Belgium) indicate that catches were initially local. Between the 9th and 12th centuries most bones represented fish from the southern North Sea. Conversely, by the 13th to 14th centuries demand was increasingly met through long distance transport e signalling the onset of the globalisation of commercial fisheries and suggesting that cities such as London quickly outgrew the capacity of local fish supplies.
This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region o... more This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region of catch of cod by analysing bones from medieval settlements in northern and western Europe. It measures the δ13C and δ15N values of cod bone collagen from medieval control samples collected from sites around Arctic Norway, the North Sea, the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea. These data were considered likely to differ by region due to, for example, variation in the length of the food chain, water temperature and salinity. We find that geographical structuring is indeed evident, making it possible to identify bones from cod caught in distant waters. These results provide a new methodology for studying the growth of long-range trade in dried cod and the related expansion of fishing effort—important aspects of the development of commercialisation in medieval Europe. As a first test of the method, we analyse three collections of cod bones tentatively interpreted as imported dried fish based on a priori zooarchaeological criteria. The results tentatively suggest that cod were being transported or traded over very long distances since the end of the first millennium AD.
The booklet was written to accompany the exhibition Looking In From The Edge - The Hanse in the N... more The booklet was written to accompany the exhibition Looking In From The Edge - The Hanse in the North Atlantic, which will be shown at the German Maritime Museum (DSM), Leibniz Institute for Maritime History, from 24 March 2023 until Spring 2024. From November 2023, parallel exhibitions will also be held at the Stromness Museum in Orkney, and at the Shetland Museum and Archives. These exhibitions are in turn part of the international and interdisciplinary research project Looking In From The Edge (LIFTE). In addition to the two editors of this volume (Bart Holterman and Philipp Grassel), researchers from the University of Tübingen – Department of Medieval Archaeology, Lincoln University in England and the Scottish University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Orkney College are involved in the project. All chapters included in this book were written by members of the project. The LIFTE project is concerned with what is nowadays still a remote region on the fringes of Europe: the British Orkney and Shetland Islands. Despite (or perhaps because of) their location on the edge of Europe, these British Northern Isles today attract thousands of tourists each year and constitute anchor points for the oil and offshore industries in the North Sea. But they have been the destination of Hanseatic merchants, English and Scottish traders and herring fishers from Holland in the Middle Ages and the early modern period.
Full ref: Harland, JF. 2012. ‘Animal husbandry: The Mammal bone’, in Barrett, J. (ed.) 2012. Bein... more Full ref: Harland, JF. 2012. ‘Animal husbandry: The Mammal bone’, in Barrett, J. (ed.) 2012. Being an Islander. Production and Identity at Quoygrew, Orkney, AD 900-1600. Cambridge: MacDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 139-154
Full reference: Harland, JH, RA Bennett, JI Andrews, T O’Connor and JH Barrett. 2012. ‘Fowling: T... more Full reference: Harland, JH, RA Bennett, JI Andrews, T O’Connor and JH Barrett. 2012. ‘Fowling: The Bird Bone’ in Barrett, J. (ed.) 2012. Being an Islander. Production and Identity at Quoygrew, Orkney, AD 900-1600. Cambridge: MacDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 155-159
Full reference: Barrett, JH and JF Harland. 2012. 'Chapter 5: Ecofact Recovery and Patterns of De... more Full reference: Barrett, JH and JF Harland. 2012. 'Chapter 5: Ecofact Recovery and Patterns of Deposition', in JH Barrett (ed) Being an Islander: Production and Identity at Quoygrew, Orkney, AD 900-1600. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 97-102
FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF and JH Barrett (2012). ‘Chapter 7: The Maritime Economy, Fish Bone’, i... more FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF and JH Barrett (2012). ‘Chapter 7: The Maritime Economy, Fish Bone’, in JH Barrett (ed.) Being an Islander: Production and identity at Quoygrew, Orkney, AD 900-1600, Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research: 115-138.
FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF and RL Parks (2009). ‘The Fish Remains’, in A Ritchie (ed.) On the fri... more FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF and RL Parks (2009). ‘The Fish Remains’, in A Ritchie (ed.) On the fringe of Neolithic Europe: Excavation of a chambered cairn on the Holm of Papa Westray, Orkney, Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Aerial view of Grand Arcade, facing northwest, with outlines of areas of investigation and variou... more Aerial view of Grand Arcade, facing northwest, with outlines of areas of investigation and various features shown. Compare to fig. 1.11E (photograph courtesy of Bovis Lend Lease Ltd.). On the back cover: View of the excavation of the main area at Grand Arcade, facing west. Edited for the Institute by James Barrett (Series Editor). v Contents Contributors ix Figures xi Tables xv Chapter 1 Introduction (C. Cessford and A. Dickens) S1 Previous archaeological investigations S1 Tenement narratives, a partial critique S4 Chapter 2 Preludes: prehistoric to early twelfth century (C. Cessford) S5 Geology and topography S5 Soils of Cambridge and its immediate environs: insights from CAU excavations S5 Prehistoric material S7 Roman material S8 Early and Middle Anglo-Saxon material S9 Late Saxon activity S9 The Hadstock Way S10 Features associated with the mid to late eleventh-century dispersed occupation S10 Features associated with the early twelfth-century large-scale imposed layout S12 Other twelfth-century ditches S13 Chapter 3 The Kings Ditch: from Anarchy to alleyway (C. Cessford) S17 Previous investigations S17 The 2005-6 excavations S18 Phase 4: late eighteenth-early twenty-first century S19 Chapter 4 The early suburb: mid-twelfth to sixteenth century (C. Cessford) S27 Archaeological remains: mid-late twelfth century S27 Archaeological remains: thirteenth-fourteenth centuries S33 Archaeological remains: fifteenth-sixteenth centuries S45 Material culture S62 Economic and environmental data S68 Chapter 5 From suburb to shopping centre: seventeenth to twenty-first century (C. Cessford and A. Dickens) S147 Tenement naratives: seventeenth century S147 Tenement narratives: eighteenth century S153 Tenement narratives: nineteenth century S163 Tenement narratives: twentieth century S190 Tenement narratives: the Robert Sayle department store S193 Material culture S200 Economic and environmental data S213 Chapter 6 Wider environs (R. Newman) S535 The Christ's Land development S535
Easily preserved and high in energy, butter was a reliable foodstuff during the medieval period f... more Easily preserved and high in energy, butter was a reliable foodstuff during the medieval period for northerners vulnerable to short growing seasons and occasional crop failure. This chapter assesses the value of butter as commodity-money in late Viking Age and medieval Orkney, and advances new methodologies to aid the identification of perishable foodstuffs used in payments. It reviews documentary evidence for payments in butter, which indicates that farms produced butter not only to meet their own needs, but also to pay taxes, rents, and tithes. It then proposes a means of identifying butter payment in the archaeological record. It argues that zooarchaeological and other bioarchaeological evidence from excavated farm sites can elucidate the strategies employed in raising dairy animals, allowing the identification of sites that probably produced high quantities of butter. This is demonstrated through an investigation of local subsistence strategies at Quoygrew, a settlement of farme...
Despite an excellent sampling programme and good recovery of environmental materials, fish remain... more Despite an excellent sampling programme and good recovery of environmental materials, fish remains and marine shells are rare at the Ness of Brodgar. Bone and shell preservation on site are less than ideal, but the presence of extensive mammal bone deposits makes it clear that this pattern is not simply an artefact of survival. Work on the mammal bone has allowed investigation of many aspects of human-animal interac- tions, including diet, economy, wild resource use, and the non-dietary significance of animals. Against that background, the low frequency of fish remains and marine shells poses important questions. Is the lack of fish simply a recovery bias, or does it indicate a true avoidance of fish in the Neolithic diet? If so, why were people not eating marine or freshwater resources? Are the few fish that we have found definitely the result of human activity, or could there be other explanations for their presence? Contextual and comparative evi- dence can be used to help explore these questions, alongside analyses of the bones and shells themselves.
Free to view here: https://rdcu.be/bRdUz
Measurement comparisons of ancient and modern carp pu... more Free to view here: https://rdcu.be/bRdUz
Measurement comparisons of ancient and modern carp push back the initial stages of aquaculture to 6000 BC, raising the possibility that rice paddy and fish co-culture systems are much older than previously thought. This research suggests carp were later independently domesticated twice, once in Europe and once in Asia.
Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Eur... more Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Europe beginning in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. We use stable isotope signatures from 300 archaeological cod (Gadus morhua) bones to determine whether this sea fishing revolution resulted from increased local fishing or the introduction of preserved fish transported from distant waters such as Arctic Norway, Iceland and/or the Northern Isles of Scotland (Orkney and Shetland). Results from 12 settlements in England and Flanders (Belgium) indicate that catches were initially local. Between the 9th and 12th centuries most bones represented fish from the southern North Sea. Conversely, by the 13th to 14th centuries demand was increasingly met through long distance transport e signalling the onset of the globalisation of commercial fisheries and suggesting that cities such as London quickly outgrew the capacity of local fish supplies.
Although recent historical ecology studies have extended quantitative knowledge of eastern Baltic... more Although recent historical ecology studies have extended quantitative knowledge of eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) exploitation back as far as the 16th century, the historical origin of the modern fishery remains obscure. Widespread archaeological evidence for cod consumption around the eastern Baltic littoral emerges around the 13th century, three centuries before systematic documentation, but it is not clear whether this represents (1) development of a substantial eastern Baltic cod fishery, or (2) large-scale importation of preserved cod from elsewhere. To distinguish between these hypotheses we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to determine likely catch regions of 74 cod vertebrae and cleithra from 19 Baltic archaeological sites dated from the 8th to the 16th centuries. d 13 C and d 15 N signatures for six possible catch regions were established using a larger sample of archaeological cod cranial bones (n = 249). The data strongly support the second hypothesis, revealing widespread importation of cod during the 13th to 14th centuries, most of it probably from Arctic Norway. By the 15th century, however, eastern Baltic cod dominate within our sample, indicating the development of a substantial late medieval fishery. Potential human impact on cod stocks in the eastern Baltic must thus be taken into account for at least the last 600 years. Citation: Orton DC, Makowiecki D, de Roo T, Johnstone C, Harland J, et al. (2011) Stable Isotope Evidence for Late Medieval (14th-15th C) Origins of the Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua) Fishery. PLoS ONE 6(11): e27568.
This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region o... more This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region of catch of cod by analysing bones from medieval settlements in northern and western Europe. It measures the δ13C and δ15N values of cod bone collagen from medieval control samples collected from sites around Arctic Norway, the North Sea, the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea. These data were considered likely to differ by region due to, for example, variation in the length of the food chain, water temperature and salinity. We find ...
In this volume of Trabalhos do LARC we present the Program and Abstracts of the 18th biennial mee... more In this volume of Trabalhos do LARC we present the Program and Abstracts of the 18th biennial meeting of
the International Council for Archaeozoology - Fish Remains Working Group (ICAZ-FRWG), hosted by the
Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage - Archaeosciences Laboratory (DGPC - LARC) and the Research
Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources – Environmental Archaeology Research Group (CIBIO -
EnvArch).
The meeting is aimed primarily for archaeozoologists interested in the systematic study of fish bones
retrieved from archaeological sites around the world, and also to archaeologists, ichthyologists, historians,
ethnographers, and fishery biologists. To this end the conference is structured to encompass a multiplicity
of approaches to the study of fish remains and their contribution to our understanding of how fishing, fish
trade, fish consumption, biodiversity, ecology and human impact on aquatic environments have changed
through time.
Although recent historical ecology studies have extended quantitative knowledge of eastern Baltic... more Although recent historical ecology studies have extended quantitative knowledge of eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) exploitation back as far as the 16th century, the historical origin of the modern fishery remains obscure. Widespread archaeological evidence for cod consumption around the eastern Baltic littoral emerges around the 13th century, three centuries before systematic documentation, but it is not clear whether this represents (1) development of a substantial eastern Baltic cod fishery, or (2) large-scale importation of preserved cod from elsewhere. To distinguish between these hypotheses we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to determine likely catch regions of 74 cod vertebrae and cleithra from 19 Baltic archaeological sites dated from the 8th to the 16th centuries. d 13 C and d 15 N signatures for six possible catch regions were established using a larger sample of archaeological cod cranial bones (n = 249). The data strongly support the second hypothesis, revealing widespread importation of cod during the 13th to 14th centuries, most of it probably from Arctic Norway. By the 15th century, however, eastern Baltic cod dominate within our sample, indicating the development of a substantial late medieval fishery. Potential human impact on cod stocks in the eastern Baltic must thus be taken into account for at least the last 600 years. Citation: Orton DC, Makowiecki D, de Roo T, Johnstone C, Harland J, et al. (2011) Stable Isotope Evidence for Late Medieval (14th-15th C) Origins of the Eastern Baltic Cod (Gadus morhua) Fishery. PLoS ONE 6(11): e27568.
Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Eur... more Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Europe beginning in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. We use stable isotope signatures from 300 archaeological cod (Gadus morhua) bones to determine whether this sea fishing revolution resulted from increased local fishing or the introduction of preserved fish transported from distant waters such as Arctic Norway, Iceland and/or the Northern Isles of Scotland (Orkney and Shetland). Results from 12 settlements in England and Flanders (Belgium) indicate that catches were initially local. Between the 9th and 12th centuries most bones represented fish from the southern North Sea. Conversely, by the 13th to 14th centuries demand was increasingly met through long distance transport e signalling the onset of the globalisation of commercial fisheries and suggesting that cities such as London quickly outgrew the capacity of local fish supplies.
This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region o... more This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region of catch of cod by analysing bones from medieval settlements in northern and western Europe. It measures the δ13C and δ15N values of cod bone collagen from medieval control samples collected from sites around Arctic Norway, the North Sea, the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea. These data were considered likely to differ by region due to, for example, variation in the length of the food chain, water temperature and salinity. We find that geographical structuring is indeed evident, making it possible to identify bones from cod caught in distant waters. These results provide a new methodology for studying the growth of long-range trade in dried cod and the related expansion of fishing effort—important aspects of the development of commercialisation in medieval Europe. As a first test of the method, we analyse three collections of cod bones tentatively interpreted as imported dried fish based on a priori zooarchaeological criteria. The results tentatively suggest that cod were being transported or traded over very long distances since the end of the first millennium AD.
Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Eur... more Archaeological fish bones reveal increases in marine fish utilisation in Northern and Western Europe beginning in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. We use stable isotope signatures from 300 archaeological cod (Gadus morhua) bones to determine whether this sea fishing revolution resulted from increased local fishing or the introduction of preserved fish transported from distant waters such as Arctic Norway, Iceland and/or the Northern Isles of Scotland (Orkney and Shetland). Results from 12 settlements in England and Flanders (Belgium) indicate that catches were initially local. Between the 9th and 12th centuries most bones represented fish from the southern North Sea. Conversely, by the 13th to 14th centuries demand was increasingly met through long distance transport e signalling the onset of the globalisation of commercial fisheries and suggesting that cities such as London quickly outgrew the capacity of local fish supplies.
This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region o... more This paper explores the potential of stable isotope analysis to identify the approximate region of catch of cod by analysing bones from medieval settlements in northern and western Europe. It measures the d 13 C and d 15 N values of cod bone collagen from medieval control samples collected from sites around Arctic Norway, the North Sea, the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea. These data were considered likely to differ by region due to, for example, variation in the length of the food chain, water temperature and salinity. We find that geographical structuring is indeed evident, making it possible to identify bones from cod caught in distant waters. These results provide a new methodology for studying the growth of long-range trade in dried cod and the related expansion of fishing effortdimportant aspects of the development of commercialisation in medieval Europe. As a first test of the method, we analyse three collections of cod bones tentatively interpreted as imported dried fish based on a priori zooarchaeological criteria. The results tentatively suggest that cod were being transported or traded over very long distances since the end of the first millennium AD.
FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF (2007). ‘Status and space in the ‘Fish Event Horizon’: initial result... more FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF (2007). ‘Status and space in the ‘Fish Event Horizon’: initial results from Quoygrew and Earl’s Bu, Viking Age and medieval sites in Orkney, Scotland’, in HH Plogmann (ed.) The Role of Fish in Ancient Time, Rahden: Verlag Marie Leidorf: 63-68.
This report provides a technical summary of the hand collected and sieved fish bone from Stackelb... more This report provides a technical summary of the hand collected and sieved fish bone from Stackelbrae, a site of Viking/Norse to post-medieval date from the Orkney island of Eday. Dating may extend earlier into prehistory but very few fish bones were produced from these early layers. The assemblage is of moderate size compared to others from Orkney, with approximately 6000 bones identified to species or broader taxonomic grouping. Most of these are from the cod family, including saithe, cod, haddock and rocklings, with small numbers of other taxa recovered including flatfish, rays and skates, eel, wrasse and sand eels.
The fish remains recovered from a 16 th century Irish shipwreck were analysed and found to consis... more The fish remains recovered from a 16 th century Irish shipwreck were analysed and found to consist entirely of Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus. All material was sieved to 300μ. A minimum of 513 herring were present in the samples studied, making it likely many thousands of herring had been the original cargo. Element patterning indicated the herring were butchered to remove elements from the appendicular region, most likely along with some of the guts; the herring were therefore probably picked in salt and barrelled for long-term preservation. The herring found were mostly between 20 and 30cm total length, probably reflecting exploitation of autumn-spawning populations around the Isle of Man and the east coast of Ireland. Historical sources indicate that substantial trade in preserved herring was undertaken between the eastern Irish ports and English ports, including Bristol. The herring were recovered from a total of 14 barrels, and thus might have comprised one 'last', a commonly traded commercial unit of about 10,000 to 14,000 herring.
Cambridge. This small assemblage comprises sieved and hand collected material from the 14 th and ... more Cambridge. This small assemblage comprises sieved and hand collected material from the 14 th and 16 th centuries. Results indicated a reliance on herrings and eels, with a variety of freshwater and marine remains found. Species diversity increased through time, indicating a wider range of marine habitats were becoming exploited. Cod and marine cod family fish were only found in any quantity in the 16 th century, when they were eaten both fresh and as traded, preserved fish. Overall, a surprisingly high quantity of freshwater fish was consumed; this may be related to site status. Declining quantities of burbot through time may point to an increase in pollution levels in local freshwater river systems.
This report presents an analysis of the fish bones from Grand Arcade, Cambridge. This assemblage ... more This report presents an analysis of the fish bones from Grand Arcade, Cambridge. This assemblage comprised sieved and hand collected bone from the 11-12 th century to the 19 th century, with most material from sieved 14 th century deposits. Results indicated a variety of fish were exploited from freshwater and marine habitats, with a reliance on whiting and herring. The 12 th century deposits had an unusually high proportion of freshwater fish, but quantities were low. Cod appeared for the first time in the 14 th century, relatively late compared to many English sites. Preserved cod were likely imported from two separate sources, one in the 14 th century and one in the 16 th , and each was associated with different butchery patterning, element proportions and fish sizes. Eels were surprisingly absent, appearing only in the 16 th century, which might indicate the relative wealth of these deposits. Large flatfishes began to be exploited in the 16 th century, indicating an expansion of fishing grounds and fish species available. Some indication of the declining quality of the river systems was provided by changing freshwater fish species.
This report presents an analysis of the fish bones from St. John's Triangle, Cambridge. This asse... more This report presents an analysis of the fish bones from St. John's Triangle, Cambridge. This assemblage comprised sieved and hand collected bone from phases dating from the 2/3 rd centuries through to the 19/20 th centuries AD. Most of the material was from the 16 th , late 16 th and early 17 th century phases. The identifiable assemblage was of moderate size, but broad changes through time can be seen and are consistent with general English trends through the medieval and early modern period, namely a shift towards increasing use of marine resources through time. The late 16 th and early 17 th century deposits are dominated by remains of large cod, which were imported to the site as a prepared and preserved foodstuff. These phases also feature several thousand large cod family rays and spines, which are an unusual deposit and which most likely represent the remains of dozens of large, preserved cod. A few finds of cod pre-date the late 16 th century and suggest small quantities of fresh, whole cod were being consumed alongside some preserved imports, but prior to the late 16 th century, cod and cod family fish were a minor component of the diet.
A large assemblage of hand collected and sieved fish bone was analysed from medieval and later de... more A large assemblage of hand collected and sieved fish bone was analysed from medieval and later deposits in Aberdeen. The bulk of the material probably dated to the 13-14 th centuries and 14-15 th centuries, with some of 15-18 th and 19-20 th century date. Very large cod and ling dominated the assemblage, particularly between the 13 th and 15 th centuries. Many of these fish were approaching or well over 100cm total length. Some haddock of smaller size were also found, but were probably underrepresented by hand collection. Increasing taxonomic diversity was found from the 15 th century onwards, while at the same time the largest ling and cod were no longer recovered; this suggested a shift towards shallower or inshore fisheries. Butchery and element patterning was used to explore the possible evidence for fish trade, but it was likely the majority of the fish being consumed were eaten fresh, contrary to conclusions drawn from comparative material from medieval Aberdeen and historical sources documenting Aberdeen"s role in the fish trade. Extensive butchery of the large cod and ling followed a set pattern to reduce the edible parts into smaller, manageable portions, and may have been undertaken by professionals. Numerous small knife marks did not follow set patterns and probably are evidence for food preparation and consumption at the domestic level. Surprising numbers of pathologies were found on the very big cod and ling, including evidence for joint disease, injuries and tumour type growths.
This was published in slightly modified form later in Anna Ritchie's 2009 monograph On the Fringe... more This was published in slightly modified form later in Anna Ritchie's 2009 monograph On the Fringe of Neolithic Europe: Excavation of a Chambered Cairn on the Holm of Papa Westray, Orkney
A small assemblage of sieved fish remains was analysed from a medieval site on Lindisfarne. Haddo... more A small assemblage of sieved fish remains was analysed from a medieval site on Lindisfarne. Haddock, cod and whiting were the most commonly consumed species, with small numbers of other taxa recovered, including herring and flatfish. Most were probably caught in local inshore or coastal waters, and most were only of moderate size. It is likely the remains include gutting and processing waste (including tiny fish that may have been stomach contents from fish or sea birds), as well as kitchen or table waste.
A small assemblage of fish remains was recovered from a pit of medieval date. The remains were in... more A small assemblage of fish remains was recovered from a pit of medieval date. The remains were in moderate condition and were fairly fragmented. This sieved assemblage contained at least 15 fish, including herring, whiting, cod and other cod family fish. Sandeels were also found and may have been stomach contents from the larger fish. Most marine fish were probably caught near to Berwick. A few freshwater or migratory taxa were recovered, including eel, salmon and trout family and carp family, all of which could have been caught in local river systems.
This report presents an analysis of the fish bones from Berwick Workspace, Berwick-upon-Tweed. Th... more This report presents an analysis of the fish bones from Berwick Workspace, Berwick-upon-Tweed. The small assemblage comprised sieved and hand collected bone from four periods. Results indicated small, young whiting, haddock and other cod family fish were commonly consumed, likely caught from local coastal waters. Larger cod and related fish were also found but in small quantities, indicating some exploitation of deeper, open water fishing grounds. A number of other marine or migratory species were also found in small quantities, and no freshwater species were found. Butchery marks indicate possible importation of prepared cod in the earlier, potentially high-status periods of the site.
Three fish skeletons were assessed to determine preservation, species, fish size and elements pre... more Three fish skeletons were assessed to determine preservation, species, fish size and elements present, using the reference collection held in the Fishlab, Department of Archaeology, University of York. Any butchery marks were noted, but not in detail. No weights or measurements were recorded. A subset of elements were examined and listed, following the standard recording protocol for analytical fish reports produced at York ).
FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF (2006). ‘Zooarchaeology in the Viking Age to Medieval Northern Isles, ... more FULL REFERENCE Harland, JF (2006). ‘Zooarchaeology in the Viking Age to Medieval Northern Isles, Scotland: An investigation of spatial and temporal patterning’, Unpublished PhD thesis, University of York.
Despite an excellent sampling programme and good recovery of environmental materials, fish remain... more Despite an excellent sampling programme and good recovery of environmental materials, fish remains and marine shells are rare at the Ness of Brodgar. Bone and shell preservation on site are less than ideal, but the presence of extensive mammal bone deposits makes it clear that this pattern is not simply an artefact of survival. Work on the mammal bone has allowed investigation of many aspects of human-animal interac- tions, including diet, economy, wild resource use, and the non-dietary significance of animals. Against that background, the low frequency of fish remains and marine shells poses important questions. Is the lack of fish simply a recovery bias, or does it indicate a true avoidance of fish in the Neolithic diet? If so, why were people not eating marine or freshwater resources? Are the few fish that we have found definitely the result of human activity, or could there be other explanations for their presence? Contextual and comparative evi- dence can be used to help explore these questions, alongside analyses of the bones and shells themselves.
The Roman Amphitheatre of Chester: The Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology, 2018
Harland, J. 2018 ‘Chester Amphitheatre: The fish remains from the Roman phases’, in Wilmott, T. &... more Harland, J. 2018 ‘Chester Amphitheatre: The fish remains from the Roman phases’, in Wilmott, T. & Garner, D (eds.) The Roman Amphitheatre of Chester: The Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology. Oxford: Oxbow, 414-430
Harland, JF, Jones, AKG, Orton, DC and Barrett, JH. 2016. Fishing and Fish Trade in Medieval York... more Harland, JF, Jones, AKG, Orton, DC and Barrett, JH. 2016. Fishing and Fish Trade in Medieval York: The Zooarchaeological Evidence, in Barrett, JH and Orton, DC (eds.) Cod and Herring: The Archaeology and History of Medieval Sea Fishing. Oxbow Books, Oxford, 172-204.
dried stockfish -or from manure of mixed ash and dung to the malted barley used to brew the ale f... more dried stockfish -or from manure of mixed ash and dung to the malted barley used to brew the ale for a magnate's feast.
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Books by Jen Harland
The LIFTE project is concerned with what is nowadays still a remote region on the fringes of Europe: the British Orkney and Shetland Islands. Despite (or perhaps because of) their location on the edge of Europe, these British Northern Isles today attract thousands of tourists each year and constitute anchor points for the oil and offshore industries in the North Sea. But they have been the destination of Hanseatic merchants, English and Scottish traders and herring fishers from Holland in the Middle Ages and the early modern period.
Papers by Jen Harland
Measurement comparisons of ancient and modern carp push back the initial stages of aquaculture to 6000 BC, raising the possibility that rice paddy and fish co-culture systems are much older than previously thought. This research suggests carp were later independently domesticated twice, once in Europe and once in Asia.
the International Council for Archaeozoology - Fish Remains Working Group (ICAZ-FRWG), hosted by the
Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage - Archaeosciences Laboratory (DGPC - LARC) and the Research
Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources – Environmental Archaeology Research Group (CIBIO -
EnvArch).
The meeting is aimed primarily for archaeozoologists interested in the systematic study of fish bones
retrieved from archaeological sites around the world, and also to archaeologists, ichthyologists, historians,
ethnographers, and fishery biologists. To this end the conference is structured to encompass a multiplicity
of approaches to the study of fish remains and their contribution to our understanding of how fishing, fish
trade, fish consumption, biodiversity, ecology and human impact on aquatic environments have changed
through time.
The LIFTE project is concerned with what is nowadays still a remote region on the fringes of Europe: the British Orkney and Shetland Islands. Despite (or perhaps because of) their location on the edge of Europe, these British Northern Isles today attract thousands of tourists each year and constitute anchor points for the oil and offshore industries in the North Sea. But they have been the destination of Hanseatic merchants, English and Scottish traders and herring fishers from Holland in the Middle Ages and the early modern period.
Measurement comparisons of ancient and modern carp push back the initial stages of aquaculture to 6000 BC, raising the possibility that rice paddy and fish co-culture systems are much older than previously thought. This research suggests carp were later independently domesticated twice, once in Europe and once in Asia.
the International Council for Archaeozoology - Fish Remains Working Group (ICAZ-FRWG), hosted by the
Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage - Archaeosciences Laboratory (DGPC - LARC) and the Research
Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources – Environmental Archaeology Research Group (CIBIO -
EnvArch).
The meeting is aimed primarily for archaeozoologists interested in the systematic study of fish bones
retrieved from archaeological sites around the world, and also to archaeologists, ichthyologists, historians,
ethnographers, and fishery biologists. To this end the conference is structured to encompass a multiplicity
of approaches to the study of fish remains and their contribution to our understanding of how fishing, fish
trade, fish consumption, biodiversity, ecology and human impact on aquatic environments have changed
through time.