In this doctoral dissertation bird bone material from various Stone Age sites in the Baltic Sea region is investigated. The study period is approximately 7000–3400 BP, comprising mainly Neolithic cultures. The settlement material comes from Finland, Åland, Gotland, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Osteological materials were used for studying the economic and cultural importance of birds, fowling methods and principal fowling seasons. Birds in burials at two large cemeteries, Ajvide on Gotland and Zvejnieki in northern Latvia were investigated in order to study the roles of birds in burial practices. Despite usually low numbers of bird bones in osteological materials from prehistoric sites, it could be shown that waterbirds and several grouse species were economically important in the Stone Age cultures of the study area. The breeding period was the main fowling period in the Baltic Sea area during the Stone Age. Fowling has been most important in coastal areas. Th e burial fi nds indicate that some common ideas about waterbirds (perhaps as messengers or spirit helpers) might have existed in the northern European Stone Age.
Author(s): Kristiina Mannermaa
Publisher: University of Helsinki
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 94
City: Helsinki
Original papers 4
Preface 5
Abstract 8
1. Introduction 9
Outline and aims of the dissertation 11
A brief outline of the subsistence economy and animals in graves in Stone Age Finland, Åland, Gotland and Estonia 14
Trends in (avian) zooarchaeology 16
2. Sites and assemblages 20
2.1. Geographical and chronological outline 20
2.2. Osteological assemblages 21
Finnish mainland 21
Åland, Finland 29
Gotland, Sweden 34
Saaremaa, Estonia 37
Hiiunmaa, Estonia 39
Latvia (Zvejnieki) 39
3. Methods 40
Some notes about interpretation of archaeologial bird remains 40
Identifi cation 41
Depositional history 42
Treatment of bird carcasses and utilization of birds 43
Hunting seasons 43
Use of ethnographic sources 44
4. Results 45
4.1. What can fi nd contexts say about the uses of birds? 45
4.2. On breakage pattern and skeletal element distribution 48
4.3. Bird taxa 51
Ducks 51
Grouse 52
Auks 53
Divers 53
Grebes 53
Geese and swans 54
Birds of prey (including owls) 54
Other taxa 55
Comparison of bird taxa in settlements and burials 56
4.4. Chronological aspects 57
4.5. Birds as resource 58
Subsistence 58
Tools and implements 59
Use of skins, feathers and bones in paraphernalia, decoration and raw material 60
4.6. Birds in burial practices 61
5. Discussion 63
5.1. Main factors aff ecting bird utilization 63
Location of the site and the availability of breeding birds and land mammals 63
Mobility, seasons and settlement patterns 64
Hunting of breeding, wintering and migrating birds 66
Hunting restrictions, taboos and other cultural factors 67
5.2. On fowling methods 68
5.3. Culture- and ecology-based diff erences in fowling 70
5.4. Th e relationship between birds and people 71
5.5. Th e importance of birds for the prehistoric cultures in the Baltic Sea region 74
6. Conclusions 76
References 77
Appendices 1–2 93
