Greenland Isotope Project

Diet in Norse Greenland AD 1000 – AD1450

Jette Arneborg

Initial study

The 13C values measured in Norse Greenland human bones suggested a change in Norse Greenland diet from predominantly terrestrial food to predominantly marine food.

Questions left open: Was the changes due to:• Altered subsistence strategies ?• Altered farming practices (e.g. feeding with

seaweed and/or fish and seal refuse)?

Other questions :• Differences between the two settlement areas?• Differences between indvidual farms?• Differences between sexes?• What kind of marine food was digested?

The dataset

183 samples of human bone118 Norse 65 Inuit

254 samples of animal bones Domesticates: Cattle, sheep, goat, pig, horse & dog

Wild animals: seal, walrus, narwhale, whale, caribou, muskoxen & hare

43 human bones have been AMS dated

38 animal bones have been AMS dated

The research group

• Jan Heinemeier. AMS Dateringslaboratoriet, Aarhus Universitet

• Niels Lynnerup, Section of Forensic Pathology, Copenhagen University

• Jeppe Møhl, Zoological Museum, Copenhagen University

• Erle Nelson, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver• Jette Arneborg, National Museum, Copenhagen

0

5

10

15

20

25

-22 -20 -18 -16 -14 -12 -10

Cow West SCow East SDog West SDog East SGoat West SGoat East SHorseViking West SViking East SEskimo EastcoastEskimo WestcoastHareWhalrusMuskSheep West SSheep East SSeal Cyst. East SSeal Barb. E&W SSeal Groenl. West CoastSeal Groe. East CoastSeal hisp. East CoastSeal hisp. West CoastSeal Vitul. West CoastReindeer West SReindeer East CoastPig East SWhale

viking12\viking12.svJH 01.05.11 13C VPDB

15N

Greenland Norse Project, May 2001

Analytic units

-21

-20,5

-20

-19,5

-19

-18,5

-18

-17,5

-17

-16,5

-16

-15,5

-15

-14,5

-14

-13,5

-13

Tj#165Tj#18

Tj#28

Ø35a

Tj#11

Ø35c

Ø35b

Ø48a

V51#197

V51#240

Tj#12

Ø48b

Tj#25

Tj#16

Tj#27

Tj#26

Tj#19

Ø35a

V7#175

Ø47#20

Ø47#22Ø

167Ø

111#205Ø

149#214Ø

149#216V51#258

Ø111#208

Ø111#210Ø

47#21V51#253V51#1

Ø66#24

V51#250

V51#256

V7K

-4117Ø

23aØ

149#220Ø

149#221Ø

149#222Ø

149#224Ø

149#226Ø

149#227Ø

149#228V51#249

V51#255

V51#184

V51#247

V51#3

V51#5

Ø149#215

V51#6Ø

1bØ

23bØ

111#206Ø

111#207Ø

23aØ

149#9Ø

149#213Ø

149#8V51#254V51#4

Ø66#23

V7#174

Ø149#10

V7K

-4120Ø

149#7V51#2

Ø111#13

Ø1a

Ø111#15

Ø111#14

Sample ID

C13

con

tent

s

AU I AU II AU III Archaeological dates

AU I

c. 980 - 1160

AU II

c. 1160 - 1300

AU III

c. 1300 +

AMS dated Human samples

Locals eller immigrants ?Greenland vs Iceland

-21

-20,5

-20

-19,5

-19

-18,5

-18

-17,5

-17

-16,5

-16

-15,5

-15

-14,5

-14

-13,5

-13

IS #

8IS

#3

6T

j#1

8IS

#3

5IS

#1

9T

j#2

8IS

#2

0IS

#4

Ø3

5a

IS #

28

IS #

25

IS #

63

Tj#

11

Ø3

5c

IS #

22

Ø3

5b

IS #

32

Ø4

8a

V5

1#

19

7V

51

#2

40

Tj#

12

Ø4

8b

Tj#

25

Tj#

16

Tj#

27

Tj#

26

IS #

33

IS #

31

Tj#

19

Ø3

5a

V7

#1

75

IS #

61

Ø4

7#

20

IS #

62

Ø4

7#

22

Ø1

67

Ø1

11

#2

05

Ø1

49

#2

14

Ø1

49

#2

16

V5

1#

25

8Ø

11

1#

20

8Ø

11

1#

21

0Ø

47

#2

1V

51

#2

53

V5

1#

1Ø

66

#2

4V

51

#2

56

V7

K-4

11

7Ø

23

aV

51

#3

V5

1#

5Ø

14

9#

21

5V

51

#6

Ø1

bØ

23

bØ

11

1#

20

6Ø

11

1#

20

7Ø

14

9#

9Ø

14

9#

21

3Ø

14

9#

8V

51

#4

Ø6

6#

23

V7

#1

74

Ø1

49

#1

0V

7K

-41

20

Ø1

49

#7

V5

1#

2Ø

11

1#

13

Ø1

aØ

11

1#

15

Ø1

11

#1

4Ø

23

c

Greenland Iceland

Eastern Settlement vs Western Settlement

-21

-20,5

-20

-19,5

-19

-18,5

-18

-17,5

-17

-16,5

-16

-15,5

-15

-14,5

-14

-13,5

-13

Tj#18

Tj#28

Ø35a

Tj#11

Ø35c

Ø35b

Ø48a

V51#197

V51#240

Tj#12

Ø48b

Tj#25

Tj#16

Tj#27

Tj#26

Tj#19

Ø35a

V7#175

Ø47#20

V51#250

Ø111#205

Ø149#214

Ø149#216

V51#258

Ø47#21

Ø111#208

Ø111#210

V51#253

V51#1

Ø66#24

V51#256

V7K

-4117

Ø23a

V51#249

V51#255

V51#3

V51#5

Ø149#215

V51#6

Ø1b

Ø23b

Ø23a

Ø111#206

Ø111#207

Ø149#9

V51#184

V51#247

V51#254

Ø149#213

Ø149#8

V51#4

Ø66#23

V7#174

Ø149#10

V7K

-4120

Ø149#7

V51#2

Ø111#13

Ø1a

Ø111#15

Ø111#14

Sample ID

C13 c

onte

nts

Østerbygden Vesterbygden

Period I: ca. 980 - 1160

Period II: ca. 1060 - 1300

Period III: ca. 1300 -

Eastern Settlement

Eastern Settlement

Human samplesEastern Settlement central vs. Eastern Settlement, south

Chronology AD ca 980 - AD ca 1450 (left to right)

-21

-20,5

-20

-19,5

-19

-18,5

-18

-17,5

-17

-16,5

-16

-15,5

-15

-14,5

-14

-13,5

-13

Tj#

18

Tj#

28

Ø3

5a

Tj#

11

Ø3

5c

Ø3

5b

Ø4

8a

Tj#

12

Ø4

8b

Tj#

25

Tj#

16

Tj#

27

Tj#

26

Tj#

19

Ø3

5a

Ø4

7#

20

Ø1

11

#2

05

Ø1

49

#2

14

Ø1

49

#2

16

Ø1

11

#2

08

Ø1

11

#2

10

Ø4

7#

21

Ø6

6#

24

Ø2

3a

Ø1

49

#2

15

Ø1

b

Ø2

3b

Ø1

11

#2

06

Ø1

11

#2

07

Ø1

49

#9

Ø1

49

#2

13

Ø1

49

#8

Ø6

6#

23

Ø1

49

#1

0

Ø1

49

#7

Ø1

11

#1

3

Ø1

a

Ø1

11

#1

5

Ø1

11

#1

4

Ø2

3c

Eastern Settlement, central Eastern Settlement, south

0

5

10

15

20

25

-22 -20 -18 -16 -14 -12 -10

Cow West SCow East SDog West SDog East SGoat West SGoat East SHorseViking West SViking East SEskimo EastcoastEskimo WestcoastHareWhalrusMuskSheep West SSheep East SSeal Cyst. East SSeal Barb. E&W SSeal Groenl. West CoastSeal Groe. East CoastSeal hisp. East CoastSeal hisp. West CoastSeal Vitul. West CoastReindeer West SReindeer East CoastPig East SWhale

viking12\viking12.svJH 01.05.11 13C VPDB

15N

Greenland Norse Project, May 2001

13C Cattle

-21.5

-21

-20.5

-20

-19.5

-19

-18.5

Period I ØPeriod I VPeriod II ØPeriod II VPeriod III ØPeriod III V

Period I: ca. 980 – 1160Period II: ca. 1160 – 1300Period III: ca. 1300 -

15N Cattle

Ø29a#17

Ø71#117

Ø167#108

Ø167#109

Ø167#120

GUS#104

V48#32

V48#37

V48#56

V51#396

V51#399

V51#404

V51#408

V51#409

V51#415

Ø71#110

Ø71#111

Ø167#113

Ø167#119

V48#155

V51#156

V51#390

V51#402

Ø167#114

GUS#54.2

GUS#58

GUS#60

V48#157

V48#159

V54#151

V54#163

22.5

33.5

44.5

55.5

66.5

77.5

88.5

99.510

10.511

11.512

12.513

13.514

Period I ØPeriod I VPeriod II ØPeriod II VPeriod III ØPeriod III V

Period III: ca: 1300 -

Period I ca. 980 - 1160 Period II: ca. 1160 - 1300

Greenland vs Iceland

IS # 8

Tj#18

IS #19

IS #20

Ø35a

IS #25

Tj#11

IS #22

IS #32

V51#197

Tj#12

Tj#25

Tj#27

IS #33

Tj#19

V7#175

Ø47#20

Ø47#22

Ø111#205

Ø149#216

Ø111#208

Ø47#21

V51#1

V51#256

Ø23a

V51#5

V51#6

Ø23b

Ø111#207

Ø149#213

V51#4

V7#174

V7K

-4120

V51#2

Ø1a

Ø111#14

-21

-20.5

-20

-19.5

-19

-18.5

-18

-17.5

-17

-16.5

-16

-15.5

-15

-14.5

-14

-13.5

-13

Greenland vs Iceland

Greenland Iceland

13C Iceland

Icelandic localities

The encircled locations (8, 15, 19, 21), with the distance from the sea indicated in km, represent localities where more than one individual is 14C dated

Some conclusions• Norse Greenland dietary economy changes from a predominantly terrrestrial diet

to a predominantly marine diet.• We see no changes in farming practices – the differences in 15N between the

Eastern and the Western Settlement could be different farming practices (manuering?) or it was caused by for instance geographical, enviromental differences.

• Our dataset indicates differences in the dietary economy between the central part of the Eastern Settlement and the southern part. The southern part of the Eastern Settlement and the Western Settlement are more or less similar.

• We can not see differences between individual farms (due to the dataset – we do not know where the sampled humans came from – we know of the church where they were buried).

• We can not se any differences between the sexes.• Seals must have been the most important meat supplier s – we can however not

say anything about the impact of fish.• In Iceland the dietary economy reflects geography – in Greenland it does not.