Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Marine Resource Exploitation in the North Atlantic  (MARENA)

Outline
The project will chart marine exploitation in the North Atlantic in the last two millennia. The aim is to develop a long-term perspective on the relationship between palaeoclimate proxies, stock sizes/migrations and economy based on archaeological data. The basic question is: Which species/breeding groups were being caught where in which period? And the qualifying question is: To what extent do such patterns reflect natural conditions and to what extent do they reflect cultural factors (e.g. subsistence strategies, taste and fashion, market forces). In addition to a greater understanding of historical issues, in particular the relationship between environment and economic practice, emphasis is placed on using the long-term perspective thus gained to better understand the present state of the marine ecology of the North Atlantic and in particular present climatic changes and their impact on fish-stocks and those of other marine species, e.g. seals, walrus, whale and sea-birds. A detailed understanding of the cultural/technological preconditions for the exploitation is imperative. Without it archaeological assemblages cannot be used as a proxy indicator for stock sizes/migrations or climatic fluctuations. This includes understanding of consumption patterns, hunting and transporting technology as well as the behaviour of consumer markets. Historical records show that in the 18th century the majority of the fish caught off NW-Iceland was shipped through Hamburg/Altona to cities in central Europe: Vienna, Prague and Breslau. Anectotal references suggest that such long-distance trade between the North-Atlantic and Western and Central Europe, in both consumbles like fish and luxury items like walrus ivory, can be traced back to the Viking age and possibly beyond. In addition to analysing existing zooarchaeological and material cultural assemblages from N-Atlantic marine contexts and zooarchaeological assemblages from consumer contexts in Western and Central Europe, sites on both sides of the N-Atlantic, with long timespans (1000-2000 yrs), will be targeted for excavation to establish profiles for each region. Emphasis will be placed on integrating zoo-archaeological assemblages with the understanding of site formation processes. In addition to traditional zooarchaeological analyses, DNA and isotopic analyses will be employed to identify the geographical origins of marine species found in consumer contexts; to differentiate between breeding groups and to establish climatic proxy indicators. Understanding site formation processes through thin section micromorphology, the observation of undisturbed soils and sediments by microscopic methods with associated image analyses and micro-chemical analyses, will enable identification of bone decomposition products, site formation materials, periodicities of site formation, and relationships of sites to wider landscapes and seascapes.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The project will add a long-term perspective to current issues of ecological change in the North-Atlantic. It will throw new light on economic links between Western/Central European societies and the North-Atlantic communities and add to the understanding of the environmental and social preconditions of those communities, both past and present. This is cutting edge social science research with a well defined contribution to current natural science debates. The project will train a new generation of scholars and through advanced data management systems promote its results and a greater appreciation of the complex relationship between environment and society among the public.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The project is a collaboration between scholars in Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, the UK and USA who have a long tradition of co-operating through the NABO (North-Atlantic Bio-Cultural Association) network. The project will be a venue for expanding this group, in particular to include colleagues from central and eastern Europe.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Archaeological fieldwork is planned in NE-Canada, SW-Greenland, NE-Greenland, N-Iceland, the Faroes, Shetland, SW-Norway, Arctic Norway and NW-Russia

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/07 – 09/07      06/08 – 09/08      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
In addition to standard excavation gear and laboratory facilities four of the sites will need helicopter support to get crew and logistics in place. The other will require off-road vehicles. Project will build on existing collaboration among institutions and laboratories to leverage prior national and international support.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The legacy of the project will be an even stronger community of archaeologists/historians/life- and earth scientists with a regional North-Atlantic rather than a national focus for their research. It will help in building the infrastructure needed to maintain this scholarly community, both in terms of logistics, laboratory facilities, field training and outreach channels.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
National agency
Own support

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
No

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
New
The project is a new autonomous proposal but it has emerged from the context of long-term collaboration between scientists who have studied the human and natural history of the North Atlantic for more than 20 years, under the auspices of NABO which collaborates regularly with CAFF, IASSA, PAGES, and the Arctic Council in programs emphasizing a regional approach.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be managed by a committee of five with representatives from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, UK and USA and will be administered from an office located at the University of Iceland. The research will be divided into well-defined components (mostly in the form of doctoral and post-doctoral projects), the supervision of which, as well as logistical support in the case of fieldwork and laboratory based projects, will be the responsibility of each participating institution.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
We will target primary and secondary school curriculum requirements through the creation of computer based teaching materials and guidance notes; - develop exhibits for relevant national museums; - make major activity and lecture contributions to national science weeks; - contribute to informed international policy debate through our respective National Academys. The project will also work with local communities to expand the development and coordination of effective, profitable, and sensitive cultural/environmental tourism and outreach facilities based around site excavations and cultural landscapes.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
The project will generate large quantities of archaeological raw data as well as scholarly theses. Primary excavation data; numerical and metrical zooarchaeological data, as well as interim and final reports will be hosted on the web and accessible through web portals such as www.menningarminjar.is and www.ads.ahds.ac.uk/arena.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Through national funding agencies of the participating countries

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Depletion of fisheries and major changes in the distribution of marine life will continue to be major problems throughout the circumpolar north for the rest of the 21st century. Some change will far exceed the limits of the conventional instrumental and observational scientific record of the past 200 years: threshold crossing events are probable. Successful, genuinely sustainable management of critical marine resourses requires a longer observational span, available only through such creative combinations of historical, archaeological, and paleoenvironmental data sets extending back across the major climate changes of the past two millennia. No sustainable future is possible without a well understood past.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Orri Vesteinsson
Suðurgötu, Reykjavík


101
Iceland

Tel: 354 511 1350
Mobile: 354 892 1040
Fax: 354 551 1047
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information