Long-term Seabird Exploitation in the Faroe Islands

Summary

Fowling traditionally played an important role in the subsistence economy of the Faroe Islands. The large-scale, sustainable exploitation of wild seabirds in the Faroes is noted in written sources at least as far back as the 16th century. Though the practice of fowling in these islands no doubt far precedes the earliest written documentation, archaeological evidence for the activity has until recently been limited. However, recent archaeofaunal data are beginning to provide a more complete picture of the important role played by wild resources such as seabirds in the settlement-period palaeoeconomy of the Faroes. The evidence suggests that seabirds, particularly puffin (Fratercula arctica) and guillemot (Uria aalge), were harvested in significant numbers from initial settlement onward.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Resilience, Sustainability and Collapse in the North Atlantic

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