Líffræðifélag Íslands
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2015
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E73
Scott Riddell
University of Iceland
Kynnir / Presenter: Scott Riddell
Tengiliður / Corresponding author: Scott Riddell (sjr3@hi.is)
The presence of harp seal Pagophilus groenlandicus bone in Icelandic archaeofaunas has been interpreted as indicative of sea ice incidence and of “hard times” provisioning in Iceland’s past. However, recent surveys of harp seals have shown that they can occur in Icelandic coastal waters even though sea ice is absent while historical sources suggest that harp seal hunting was not passively dependent upon the occurrence of sea ice. Therefore, harp seal distribution requires consideration of other variables beyond that of sea ice incidence in order to explain the presence of harp seals in archaeological contexts e.g. population recruitment or prey items such as capelin. The early 14th century appears to witness a genuine alteration in harp seal distribution and/or migratory habits in Icelandic waters. This may either be linked to alterations in the distribution of capelin driven by the onset of the Little Ice Age or a more localised population increase linked to the decadal fluctuations of the North Atlantic Oscillation.