The Baltic Crusades and ecological transformation: The zooarchaeology of conquest and cultural change in the Eastern Baltic in the second millennium AD

Pluskowski, Aleks; Makowiecki, Daniel; Maltby, Mark; Rannamäe, Eve; Lõugas, Lembi; Maldre, Liina; Daugnora, Linas; Müldner, Gundula; Seetah, Krish

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2018.11.039

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Based on the recovered elements, the fragments likely represent one bird (MNI = 1). The site's location near a trading district in nascent New York City likely enabled the occupants to obtain the bird, perhaps as a pet, a resource for tail feathers, or as an example of conspicuous consumption as has been noted with peafowl in other contexts (e.g., Pluskowski et al, ). We were unable to determine sex, but if the bird was obtained for its plumage, it is likely to be male.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A reevaluation of bird taxonomic identifications at Contact‐ and historic‐era North American sites

Watson

Ledogar

2019

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus) and turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are identified more frequently than other bird species in bone assemblages from historic sites in North America. Recent studies on the effectiveness of metric data for identification of galliform bones found high degrees of similarity in size and morphology between wild game birds (e.g., grouse and ptarmigan) and multiple domestic or introduced species (e.g., chicken and pheasant). This finding suggests that wild taxa and less common domesticates may have been misidentified as chicken and as a result are underrepresented in these historic datasets. In this paper, we evaluate the precision of bird taxonomic identifications from five Contact‐ and historic‐era sites in New York State, comparing the initial taxon designations recorded in site reports with our new identifications derived from a combination of comparative morphological and osteometric analyses. After our analysis of the assemblages, game bird diversity at most of the sites expanded, as did the prevalence of other orders (e.g., Anseriformes and Strigiformes). The updated identifications highlight the diversity of birds used in historic contexts and the importance of combining multiple analytical methods to increase accuracy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A reevaluation of bird taxonomic identifications at Contact‐ and historic‐era North American sites

Watson

Ledogar

2019

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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“…Temporal parameters of each sample are assigned based on archaeological context and, where possible, radiocarbon dating (for 67 out of 251 samples, see S1 Appendix for calibrated dates). To facilitate data analysis, three distinct temporal categories are used (see Table 1 ), which reflect potential historical differences in settlement pattern, land management, and resource use and availability [ 66 , 67 ]. A best-fit policy was adopted to deal with such a diverse dataset (e.g., when a sample was dated to a transitional period, or the archaeological context spanned a wide temporal range).…”

Section: Materials and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…dates). To facilitate data analysis, three distinct temporal categories are used (see Table 1), which reflect potential historical differences in settlement pattern, land management, and resource use and availability [66,67]. A best-fit policy was adopted to deal with such a diverse dataset (e.g., when a sample was dated to a transitional period, or the archaeological context…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-isotopic analysis of zooarchaeological material from Estonia (ca. 200–1800 CE): Variation among food webs and geographical regions

et al. 2022

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To better comprehend the dietary practices of past populations in the Eastern Baltic region we have created temporally and geographically restricted baselines for the time period of 200–1800 CE. In this multi-isotopic analysis, we report new δ13C, δ15N and δ34S values for 251 faunal bone collagen samples from various archaeological contexts in Estonia representing the most comprehensive set of Iron Age, Medieval and Early Modern Period faunal stable isotope values to date. The results map out the local carbon and nitrogen baselines and define isotopic ranges of local terrestrial, avian and aquatic fauna. We also demonstrate the potential application of sulfur stable isotope analysis in archaeological research. The results demonstrate a clear distinction between δ13C and δ34S values of marine and terrestrial species, however, freshwater fish display notable overlaps with both marine and terrestrial ranges for both δ13C and δ34S values. Herbivores show variation in δ34S values when grouped by region, explained by differences in the local biotopes. This study is the first attempt to connect the Eastern Baltic isotopic baselines and provides more detailed temporal and geographical references to study the local ecologies and interpret the human data.

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“…Medieval and early modern collections of fish remains found in Estonian towns and villages are quite diverse (see e.g., Lõugas et al 2012;2019;Lõugas & Bläuer 2020;Pluskowski et al 2019;Lõugas 2022). Still, higher diversity would be expected, especially from sites where we have only collected fish bones manually.…”

Section: Fish Z O O a R C H A E O L O G I C A L D Atamentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Within the last five years, our research has focused, inter alia, on the search for imported seafood among aquatic animal products, i.e., fish, shellfish and marine mammals, based on archaeological bone specimens (Lõugas et al 2020;Orton et al 2019;Pluskowski et al 2019;Glykou et al 2021;Lõugas & Bläuer 2021;Aguraiuja-Lätti et al 2022;Lõugas & Bērziņš 2023;Religa-Sobczyk et al 2023). One of the principal approaches to detecting imported aquatic animals or animal products in our archaeological material is through the presence of species which do not naturally populate the waters of Estonia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the exploitation and consumption of seafood vs freshwater resources in medieval and early modern Estonia

Lõugas,

Aguraiuja-Lätti

2023

EJA

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This paper focuses on evaluating the changing role of seafood imports in comparison with freshwater resources in medieval and early modern Estonia, based on zooarchaeological material and provenance analyses. A secondary aim was to find evidence of the early stages of practicing aquaculture in Estonia. The work presents the results of taxonomic and morphological analyses of the zooarchaeological material of aquatic animals, including marine and freshwater vertebrates (fish, marine mammals) and invertebrates (shellfish). These results were combined with additional evidence gained from previously published stable isotope data from the bone collagen of fish and marine mammals, allowing us to identify and investigate local and foreign resources among the medieval and early modern fish populations in Estonia. Our results show that herring and cod were the most exploited marine species during this period; however, freshwater species dominated at both coastal and inland sites. Compared to earlier periods, the remains of seals disappear almost completely from the zooarchaeological record, whereas those of oyster shells increase. Stable isotope analyses revealed the diverse habitats of consumed fish: from the Atlantic to the eastern Baltic, and from inland rivers to shallow coastal waters. Not much evidence was found of commonly farmed fish in the Estonian archaeological material.

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The Baltic Crusades and ecological transformation: The zooarchaeology of conquest and cultural change in the Eastern Baltic in the second millennium AD

Cited by 8 publications

References 29 publications

A reevaluation of bird taxonomic identifications at Contact‐ and historic‐era North American sites

A reevaluation of bird taxonomic identifications at Contact‐ and historic‐era North American sites

Multi-isotopic analysis of zooarchaeological material from Estonia (ca. 200–1800 CE): Variation among food webs and geographical regions

Changes in the exploitation and consumption of seafood vs freshwater resources in medieval and early modern Estonia

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