Pests or prey? Micromammal species within an ancient anthropic environment at the Norse settlement site of Tuquoy (Westray, Orkney)

Author:

Romaniuk Andrzej A.12ORCID,Troalen Lore G.3ORCID,Bendrey Robin1ORCID,Herman Jeremy S.4ORCID,Owen Olwyn5,Smith Catherine6

Affiliation:

1. School of History, Classics and Archaeology, The University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK

2. Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, The University of Edinburgh, Hope Park Square, Edinburgh EH8 9NW, UK

3. Department of Collections Services, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK

4. Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK

5. Institute of Archaeology, University of the Highlands and Islands, Orkney College, East Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1LX

6. Alder Archaeology Ltd, 55 South Methven Street, Perth PH1 5NX, UK

Abstract

Micromammals, like rodents and shrews, adapt rapidly to take advantage of new food sources, habitats and ecological niches, frequently thriving in anthropogenic environments. Their remains, often retrieved during archaeological investigations, can be a valuable source of information about the past environmental conditions as well as interspecies interactions and human activity. However, the research on such finds rarely covers multiple approaches, often relying on single species or data type (e.g. identification/information for proxy studies). Here we investigate micromammal remains from the Norse and medieval (AD tenth–fourteenth centuries) archaeological site at Tuquoy, Orkney, to elucidate the relationships between micromammals, humans and other species present using a variety of data. Four micromammal species were identified, and their species dynamics as well as relationships with humans could be inferred by tracking changes in spatial and temporal location of remains, from their taphonomic history and by age estimation for individual animals. A larger, predatory assemblage was also identified, with species composition differing from that in the rest of the archaeological assemblage, and possibly therefore representing small mammal species composition in the wild. The assemblage was probably deposited by a diurnal raptor, though identification to species is not certain due to post-depositional processes.

Funder

University Of Edinburgh, School of History, Classics and Archaeology

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

Multidisciplinary

Reference71 articles.

1. Berry RJ. 2000 Orkney nature. London, UK: Academic Press.

2. Origin of the British Insular Races of Small Mammals and of the ‘Lusitanian’ Fauna

3. Corbet GB. 1979 Appendix E: the rodent remains. In Investigations in Orkney (ed. C Renfrew), pp. 135-137. London, UK: Society of Antiquaries of London.

4. Temporal and spatial variation of dental pattern in the voles, Microtus arvalis , of the Orkney Islands

5. Phylogeography of the common vole (Microtus arvalis) with particular emphasis on the colonization of the Orkney archipelago

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