Despite a relatively wood-poor environment, archaeological research in Greenland and the wider No... more Despite a relatively wood-poor environment, archaeological research in Greenland and the wider North Atlantic reveals that wood was one of the main resources selected by the Norse to manufacture tools, equipment, and furniture used in everyday life and specialized activities. Timber was also used as a construction material for various buildings and boats, as well as fuel (e.g. Mooney et al. 2022 and references therein). The importance of wooden materials in the Norse Greenlandic culture has been acknowledged since the first major archaeological excavations in the 1930s (e.g., Roussell A., 1936, 1941; Vebæk C., 1991, 1993). However, research programs focusing specifically on determining the origin, manufacture, and use of the wooden material culture are scarce (see Pinta É., 2018, et al. 2021; Lísabet Guðmundsdóttir, 2021) and should be developed further. This article provides a brief overview of the diversity of selected Norse Greenlandic stave-built containers to reflect on their potential past uses. Specifically, we determine their original morphology and estimate their volumetric capacities. Our results are then compared with analogous archaeological and ethnographic data to provide valuable insight into past Norse domestic and agropastoral activities. In all, 631 artifacts were examined, originating from seven sites located across the two main regions of the Norse settlement in Greenland, and covering the entire span of the Norse presence from the late 10th to the mid-15th century.
The North Atlantic islands of the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland have always been relativel... more The North Atlantic islands of the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland have always been relatively poor in terms of native timber resources, due to their cold climate and exposed topography. Nevertheless, timber was vital to the material culture of the Norse settlers of these islands, and driftwood often met this need. As in subarctic Norway, where trees are also scarce, driftwood use and ownership were prescribed in medieval law codes. Historical documentary evidence shows that wealthy landowners bought driftwood rights as valuable assets, and ethnohistorical sources reveal a wide range of local and regional customs related to driftwood exploitation. However, driftwood was an unstable resource, and its delivery depended on a range of unpredictable factors related to climate and ocean currents. There is also ongoing debate regarding the relative importance of imported timber, which is for example often referenced in the Icelandic sagas. The use of driftwood is difficult to demonstra...
Expanding Horizons: Settlement Patterns and Outfield Land Use in the Norse North Atlantic, 2023
The North Atlantic islands have always been relatively wood-poor. Nonetheless, from the Viking Ag... more The North Atlantic islands have always been relatively wood-poor. Nonetheless, from the Viking Age they were home to Norse settlers who in their homelands relied significantly on wood resources for the production of a huge variety of objects from cooking utensils to ships. The story of how these settlers adapted their craft processes and exploitation strategies to the limited wood resources available on these islands has only in the last decade begun to be explored in detail through the examination of archaeological remains. Assemblages of wooden artefacts, woodworking debris, charcoal and mineralised wood have been examined from across the region, with a view to understanding patterns of both wood exploitation and woodland management. In the absence of significant forest areas with large trees suitable for construction and boatbuilding, driftwood became an extremely important source of timber. However, several of the wood species which arrive as driftwood also could have been imported to the islands, and as yet there is no reliable method for conclusively identifying archaeological wood remains as driftwood. This paper presents a review of recent research in wood resource exploitation in Iceland and Greenland, along with possibilities and potential pitfalls in future research.
A growing number of studies strive to examine wooden archaeological remains recovered from Norse ... more A growing number of studies strive to examine wooden archaeological remains recovered from Norse sites in the North Atlantic, contributing to a better understanding of patterns in both wood exploitation and woodland management. Despite the limited diversity and abundance of trees in the North Atlantic islands, the Medieval Norse kept using wood in most everyday activities including the construction and repair of buildings and boats, the production of artifacts and tools, and as a source of fuel. The proximity of the Greenland settlements with the northeastern American coast, puts them at the forefront in the exploration and exploitation of remote resource regions. While some species may have arrived both as driftwood or imported material, there is currently no method to conclusively identify archaeological wood remains as driftwood. Here, we use biogeochemical analysis of stable hydrogen (δ2H), stable oxygen (δ18O), and radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotopes in soil, water, and modern plant samples from various sites in Greenland and Canada to characterize expected local isotopic baselines. While 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios do not provide a clear distinction between the regions of interest, δ2H and δ18O ratios appear to help discriminate not only between regions but also specific sites. In addition, we completed a pilot study of archaeological wood samples obtained in Greenland to test the effectiveness of the 87Sr/86Sr biogeochemical baseline. Results demonstrate that at least in some cases, diagenetic processes were not sufficient to mask a non-local 87Sr/86Sr signature.
Trees and timber are of great importance in many cultures across the globe, whether used as a con... more Trees and timber are of great importance in many cultures across the globe, whether used as a construction material, as a fuel source, or for making tools and items of everyday life. This was also true in medieval Norse communities, resulting in the presence of considerable amounts of wooden artifacts and raw materials in sites across the North Atlantic. Because of a limited or even sometimes nonexistent timber supply, the Norse needed to rely on external wood sources, drifted or imported wood, for their everyday needs. Following the recent work of researchers in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, this paper presents results obtained from 710 artifacts distributed across seven sites in the Eastern and Western Settlements of medieval Greenland. Taxa identification is used first not only to discuss the strategies of wood exploitation by the Norse but also to give insights into the provenance of wooden materials. These, then, contribute to our understanding of timber management, human-environmental relations and mobility across the North Atlantic.
Despite a relatively wood-poor environment, archaeological research in Greenland and the wider No... more Despite a relatively wood-poor environment, archaeological research in Greenland and the wider North Atlantic reveals that wood was one of the main resources selected by the Norse to manufacture tools, equipment, and furniture used in everyday life and specialized activities. Timber was also used as a construction material for various buildings and boats, as well as fuel (e.g. Mooney et al. 2022 and references therein). The importance of wooden materials in the Norse Greenlandic culture has been acknowledged since the first major archaeological excavations in the 1930s (e.g., Roussell A., 1936, 1941; Vebæk C., 1991, 1993). However, research programs focusing specifically on determining the origin, manufacture, and use of the wooden material culture are scarce (see Pinta É., 2018, et al. 2021; Lísabet Guðmundsdóttir, 2021) and should be developed further. This article provides a brief overview of the diversity of selected Norse Greenlandic stave-built containers to reflect on their potential past uses. Specifically, we determine their original morphology and estimate their volumetric capacities. Our results are then compared with analogous archaeological and ethnographic data to provide valuable insight into past Norse domestic and agropastoral activities. In all, 631 artifacts were examined, originating from seven sites located across the two main regions of the Norse settlement in Greenland, and covering the entire span of the Norse presence from the late 10th to the mid-15th century.
The North Atlantic islands of the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland have always been relativel... more The North Atlantic islands of the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland have always been relatively poor in terms of native timber resources, due to their cold climate and exposed topography. Nevertheless, timber was vital to the material culture of the Norse settlers of these islands, and driftwood often met this need. As in subarctic Norway, where trees are also scarce, driftwood use and ownership were prescribed in medieval law codes. Historical documentary evidence shows that wealthy landowners bought driftwood rights as valuable assets, and ethnohistorical sources reveal a wide range of local and regional customs related to driftwood exploitation. However, driftwood was an unstable resource, and its delivery depended on a range of unpredictable factors related to climate and ocean currents. There is also ongoing debate regarding the relative importance of imported timber, which is for example often referenced in the Icelandic sagas. The use of driftwood is difficult to demonstra...
Expanding Horizons: Settlement Patterns and Outfield Land Use in the Norse North Atlantic, 2023
The North Atlantic islands have always been relatively wood-poor. Nonetheless, from the Viking Ag... more The North Atlantic islands have always been relatively wood-poor. Nonetheless, from the Viking Age they were home to Norse settlers who in their homelands relied significantly on wood resources for the production of a huge variety of objects from cooking utensils to ships. The story of how these settlers adapted their craft processes and exploitation strategies to the limited wood resources available on these islands has only in the last decade begun to be explored in detail through the examination of archaeological remains. Assemblages of wooden artefacts, woodworking debris, charcoal and mineralised wood have been examined from across the region, with a view to understanding patterns of both wood exploitation and woodland management. In the absence of significant forest areas with large trees suitable for construction and boatbuilding, driftwood became an extremely important source of timber. However, several of the wood species which arrive as driftwood also could have been imported to the islands, and as yet there is no reliable method for conclusively identifying archaeological wood remains as driftwood. This paper presents a review of recent research in wood resource exploitation in Iceland and Greenland, along with possibilities and potential pitfalls in future research.
A growing number of studies strive to examine wooden archaeological remains recovered from Norse ... more A growing number of studies strive to examine wooden archaeological remains recovered from Norse sites in the North Atlantic, contributing to a better understanding of patterns in both wood exploitation and woodland management. Despite the limited diversity and abundance of trees in the North Atlantic islands, the Medieval Norse kept using wood in most everyday activities including the construction and repair of buildings and boats, the production of artifacts and tools, and as a source of fuel. The proximity of the Greenland settlements with the northeastern American coast, puts them at the forefront in the exploration and exploitation of remote resource regions. While some species may have arrived both as driftwood or imported material, there is currently no method to conclusively identify archaeological wood remains as driftwood. Here, we use biogeochemical analysis of stable hydrogen (δ2H), stable oxygen (δ18O), and radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotopes in soil, water, and modern plant samples from various sites in Greenland and Canada to characterize expected local isotopic baselines. While 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios do not provide a clear distinction between the regions of interest, δ2H and δ18O ratios appear to help discriminate not only between regions but also specific sites. In addition, we completed a pilot study of archaeological wood samples obtained in Greenland to test the effectiveness of the 87Sr/86Sr biogeochemical baseline. Results demonstrate that at least in some cases, diagenetic processes were not sufficient to mask a non-local 87Sr/86Sr signature.
Trees and timber are of great importance in many cultures across the globe, whether used as a con... more Trees and timber are of great importance in many cultures across the globe, whether used as a construction material, as a fuel source, or for making tools and items of everyday life. This was also true in medieval Norse communities, resulting in the presence of considerable amounts of wooden artifacts and raw materials in sites across the North Atlantic. Because of a limited or even sometimes nonexistent timber supply, the Norse needed to rely on external wood sources, drifted or imported wood, for their everyday needs. Following the recent work of researchers in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, this paper presents results obtained from 710 artifacts distributed across seven sites in the Eastern and Western Settlements of medieval Greenland. Taxa identification is used first not only to discuss the strategies of wood exploitation by the Norse but also to give insights into the provenance of wooden materials. These, then, contribute to our understanding of timber management, human-environmental relations and mobility across the North Atlantic.
Uploads
This article provides a brief overview of the diversity of selected Norse Greenlandic stave-built containers to reflect on their potential past uses. Specifically, we determine their original morphology and estimate their volumetric capacities. Our results are then compared with analogous archaeological and ethnographic data to provide valuable insight into past Norse domestic and agropastoral activities. In all, 631 artifacts were examined, originating from seven sites located across the two main regions of the Norse settlement in Greenland, and covering the entire span of the Norse presence from the late 10th to the mid-15th century.
These, then, contribute to our understanding of timber management, human-environmental relations and mobility across the North Atlantic.
This article provides a brief overview of the diversity of selected Norse Greenlandic stave-built containers to reflect on their potential past uses. Specifically, we determine their original morphology and estimate their volumetric capacities. Our results are then compared with analogous archaeological and ethnographic data to provide valuable insight into past Norse domestic and agropastoral activities. In all, 631 artifacts were examined, originating from seven sites located across the two main regions of the Norse settlement in Greenland, and covering the entire span of the Norse presence from the late 10th to the mid-15th century.
These, then, contribute to our understanding of timber management, human-environmental relations and mobility across the North Atlantic.