VIKING UNST PROJECT: FIELD SEASON 2008 - Nabo

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An extensive sampling programme for pH, phosphate, and magnetic susceptibility analysiswas implemented from key deposits at both Hamar and the Upper House, Underhoull,resulting in over 250 individual samples being collected. A number of these were collectedas part of doctoral work by Robert Legg (see section 6.1.1).The samples collected from the 2008 excavation season are in the process of beinginvestigated, providing evidence of mammal and fish bones, charred plant remains andmarine shells. The samples have been processed in part by trained volunteers from theUniversity of Bradford, and their analysis is ongoing.4.2 PALAEOBOTANICAL REMAINS FROM HAMAR AND THE UPPER HOUSE,UNDERHOULLJ.M. Bond, M. Church, J.R Summers & Z. OutramThe sampling programme implemented intensified for the final excavation season at thesites of Hamar and the Upper House, Underhoull, in order to maximise the informationobtained. Building upon the success of the sampling programme in the 2007 excavationseason, this year’s sampling and flotation programme maintained the momentum. Due tomore favourable circumstances, it was in fact possible to process much larger volumes ofsampled sediments than in previous seasons, reducing the backlog of samples. Samplingcontinued apace at both Hamar House 1 and House 2 as excavation reached a number ofinteresting hearth features and occupation levels. Sampling also intensified at the UpperHouse at Underhoull as the excavated area was increased and, as at Hamar, hearths andoccupation surfaces were encountered.Assessment of the 2007 samples is now complete and analysis of the 2008 material isongoing. For the purposes of this report, only identified macro-remains from theassemblages gathered in 2008 will be discussed since they have most relevance to the otherreports in this volume. Since analysis is ongoing, the results presented here are not fullyquantified, instead representing a qualitative assessment of the cultivated and wild plantsidentified to date. Full quantitative analysis of the material will be presented in laterpublications.4.2.1 Palaeobotanical remains from HamarHamar House 1:To date, five samples from House 1 at Hamar (Area A) have been assessed. One of these(SF1327, context [448]) is from the sunken-floored structure discovered at the end of the2008 season. The others are from the fill and occupation of the upper room (SF1291 andSF1326 from context [402] and SF1325 from context [246]) and the area south of the crosswall (SF1314 from context [404]). The material identified to date shows the great potentialof these assemblages.52
The cereals recovered are hulled six-row barley (Hordeum vulgare) and oat (Avena sp.). Allsamples contained reasonable concentrations of grain. Two in particular, SF1325 fromcontext [246] and SF1327 from context [448], were quite rich, containing over 50 cerealgrains each and numerous other carbonised seeds and plant remains. This is greater thanany from the 2007 season.Unfortunately, no oat floret bases have yet been identified, which makes the determinationof the species present problematic. It is still, therefore, not possible to firmly state whetherthis cereal was being cultivated. However, the frequency with which it seems to beoccurring (four out of five samples) and the fact that many of the grains recovered arerelatively large suggests a domesticated rather than a wild variety and that oat was at leastin common usage at the site, if not being cultivated. The size ranges of the oat grainsrecovered from Hamar are comparable to those recovered from Pool, Orkney (Bond 2007,Table 7.1.5).The list of wild plant taxa identified to date is quite promising and includes: Ranunculusspp. (Buttercups); Chenopodium sp. (Goosefoot); Montia Fontana (Blinks); Stellaria media(Chickweed); Spergula arvensis (Corn Spurrey); Rumex spp. (Dockens); Brassica sp.(Cabbage family); Empetrum nigrum (Crowberry); Tripleurospermum maritimum (SeaMayweed); Plantago lanceolata (Ribwort Plantain); Potamogeton sp. (Pondweed); Carexspp. (Sedges); and Poa sp. (Meadow Grass).A number of the wild taxa include wetland and heathland plants, such as Sedges,Crowberry and Pondweed. Fairly large quantities of peat and the frequent occurrence ofheather (Calluna vulgaris) charcoal, leaves and flowers also combine to indicate thatheathland and boggy areas were probably exploited to this end. Numerous taxa, includingGoosefoot, Chickweed, Corn Spurrey, Ribwort Plantain and Meadow Grass can constituteweeds of cultivated land. They provide further evidence for the view that cereals werebeing cultivated locally to the site (see also Bond et al. 2007: 78-79). As well as heathlandand arable habitats being represented, the proximity of the site to coastal habitats isindicated by the quite common occurrence of Sea Mayweed in four of the five samples.Evidence of Brassica sp. (Cabbage family) seeds demonstrates that these potentiallyeconomically important plants were present in and around the site but it is problematic tomake any interpretations of their presence, especially at this stage, since the seeds are not areliable proxy for the presence of the leafy or other fleshy parts that are more likely torepresent a food resource. In addition to this, the seeds can be used as a flavouring,although it is dangerous to make such interpretations at this stage. Similarly ambiguous arethe Crowberry seeds, which could represent the gathering of berries as food or broughtfrom heathland areas in fuel supplies. Further analysis is needed to investigate all of theseissues in greater detail.Sample SF1327 from context [448], part of the sunken-floored structure, is of particularinterest. Over 50 cereal grains were recovered from this 38 litre sample and, although manywere abraded, numerous hulled barley and oat grains were recognised. The wild plantassemblage included numerous taxa that could be interpreted as weeds of cultivation. This53
Page 1 and 2: VIKING UNST PROJECTEXCAVATIONS AT H
Page 3 and 4: This is a provisional report on the
Page 5 and 6: PART TWO: PERSONNEL AND RELATED RES
Page 7 and 8: PART ONEEXCAVATIONS AT HAMAR &THE U
Page 9 and 10: A geophysical survey of the site wa
Page 11 and 12: The 2006 & 2007 excavation seasonsT
Page 13 and 14: sites are multiperiod settlements s
Page 15 and 16: more complex; geophysics would be a
Page 17 and 18: floor surface included fragments of
Page 19 and 20: Lower room & ash pitWork also concl
Page 21 and 22: Figure 2.2: Plan of the sunken floo
Page 23 and 24: External DepositsA section was exca
Page 25 and 26: along the north edge (open side) of
Page 27 and 28: Figure 2.5: The south east annexe,
Page 29 and 30: At the lower (easternmost) end of t
Page 31 and 32: 3. SUMMARY OF FINDS FROM THE 2008 S
Page 33 and 34: 46mm) with working marks on three s
Page 35 and 36: 3.2.2 A geological assessment of th
Page 37 and 38: minerals are chemically stable in n
Page 39 and 40: the same stone. SF721 (context [117
Page 41 and 42: context [185] is a fine example of
Page 43 and 44: close proximity of steatite outcrop
Page 45 and 46: oom. The three body sherds are fair
Page 47 and 48: Greenland and Iceland that a number
Page 49 and 50: channel changes from U-shaped to V-
Page 51: 4. ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCEJ.M. Bond,
Page 55 and 56: five barley grains and a single oat
Page 57 and 58: 4.3.2 The Upper House, UnderhoullAs
Page 59 and 60: [176]. The identification of microl
Page 61 and 62: iron within the soils (Gaffney & Ga
Page 63 and 64: 63Figure 4.1: The graphical represe
Page 65 and 66: SitecodeSamplecodeContext SFnumberA
Page 67 and 68: presence of tephra within the depos
Page 69 and 70: has been widely criticised as too g
Page 71 and 72: Outram, Z., Cussans, J.E., Summers,
Page 73 and 74: Level Two StudentsKirsty BennellJoh
Page 75 and 76: 8. BIBLIOGRAPHYAlsvik, H. and Batey
Page 77 and 78: Davidson, D.A. and Simpson, I.A. 20
Page 79 and 80: McDonnell, J.G. 2000. Pyrotechnolog
Page 81 and 82: 700s-800s: a potential alternative

VIKING UNST PROJECT: FIELD SEASON 2008 - Nabo

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