A study of bone remains and butchery patterns from medieval mass-hunting of reindeer in the South Norwegian mountain districts

作者：Hufthammer, A. K.; Bratbak, O. F.; Indrelid, S.

来源：Quaternary International, 2011, 238: 55-62.

DOI：10.1016/j.quaint.2010.12.005

• WILD REINDEER
• NUMBER

This paper discusses butchery patterns and utilization of reindeer in the Roman Age and Medieval times at the northern part of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, South Norway based on midden bones from seven excavation units at four hunting stations. The results are compared with two similar Viking Age and Early Medieval materials from the Dovrefjell region, some 200 km to the northeast. The analysis has revealed temporal and geographical differences with regards to bone element frequencies. In the Roman Age, the meat rich parts of the carcasses were transported away, while the majority of antlers were discarded at the site. In the Medieval assemblages from Hardangervidda only small antler fragments have been left. Ribs, humerus and scapula are low in numbers, while other skeletal elements have been found in high frequencies. This indicates that the carcasses were defleshed, and the bones left at the sites, while the meat was transported down from the mountains. At the Dovrefjell sites there are no clear patterns of missing bone elements, but a slight under-representation of antlers suggests that antlers may have been removed and utilized, i.e. in comb production. The differences observed may be due to different preferences to reindeer products as well as differences in distances to the consumption or market locations.

• 出版日期2011-6-1