Feasting in Viking Age Iceland: sustaining a chiefly political economy in a marginal environment

2013/03/01 by Davide Zori, Jesse L. Byock, Jesse Byock +5 · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #Archaeology and ancient environmental studies #Historical and Archaeological Studies #Historical Studies of British Isles

paper · doi:10.1017/s0003598x00048687

Abstract

The authors show that the principal correlates of feasting in Viking Age Iceland were beef and barley, while feasting itself is here the primary instrument of social action. Documentary references, ethnographic analogies, archaeological excavation and biological analyses are woven together to present an exemplary procedure for the recognition of feasting more widely.

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