Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
14
Introduction
Archaeoentomology is the scientific study of insect
remains recovered from archaeological sites. Its
use on an archaeological site in the United Kingdom
was first described by Coope and Osborne (1967)
and it is nowadays a branch of archaeology whose
methods are widely utilized around the world (Elias
2010). Insects represent one of the most common
animal forms on earth and are found in almost all
terrestrial environments. When they die, their exoskeletons
are preserved in sediments and may be
recovered for analysis. Insect remains are used to
understand past climates and environments, to perceive
human activities that may have transformed
past landscapes, and to identify the introduction of
foreign species related to human settlements.
In Greenland, the identification of entomological
remains from archaeological sites has been employed
as part of the study of Norse sites located in
the former Western and Eastern Settlements. The
findings have contributed to a better understanding
of the timing and impacts of Landnám, while also
allowing archaeologists to better understand the agropastoral
economy in the Norse colonies. Over the
last 30 years, archaeoentomological analyses have
explored manuring and field-irrigation practices, as
well as animal husbandry and trade. These studies
have enhanced our understanding of the Norse impact
on the surrounding environment as well as siteformation
and abandonment processes (Buckland et
al. 2009, McGovern et al. 1983, Panagiotakopulu
and Buckland 2013, Panagiotakopulu et al. 2012,
Sadler 1987, Skidmore 1996, Vickers and Panagiotakopulu
2011).
This paper presents the results of the analysis
of insects remains preserved in 10th–12th-century
midden deposits from the site of Tatsip Ataa in the
former Norse Eastern Settlement, located in southwest
Greenland (Fig. 1). Species identified include
insects and arthropods accidentally imported by
Norse settlers, as well as taxa that suggest the use of
local resources by the site’s former occupants.
Methodology
Because it has been demonstrated that most insects
have not evolved appreciably over the past 2
million years (Coope 1978:185, Elias 2010:1), insect
remains are reliable proxies for past environmental
conditions (Kenward 1978). Different orders of insects
and other arthropods are used in archaeoentomology,
including mites (Acarina) (Chepstow-Lusty
et al. 2007, Erickson 1988, Haarløv 1967); flies
(Diptera) (Panagiotakopulu 2004, Panagiotakopulu
et al. 2007); and beetles (Coleoptera) (Elias 2010,
Kenward 2009). Beetles are one of the most welldocumented
orders of insects, and many species
have specific ecological requirements. Furthermore,
their chitinous exoskeletons result in their preservation
in archaeological deposits where waterlogged
or dry conditions occur. Beetles, or Coleoptera,
are therefore the most commonly studied order in
archaeoentomology (Elias 1994, 2010:26; Kenward
2009:38).
Site context and field methodology
The site of Tatsip Ataa is located on the eastern
shore of Igaliku Fjord (Fig. 1). It is considered to be
a typical inner fjord farm without a church or other
evidence of high status or economic specialization.
It is located on a gentle and damp slope and has a
substantial home-field area and productive vegetation
(Smiarowski 2012:6).
In 2007, a 2-m by 3-m trench (block A) was
excavated in a nearby midden located on a gentle
natural slope (midden A; Fig. 2). In 2009, this
Archaeoentomology at Tatsip Ataa: Evidence for the Use of Local
Resources and Daily Life in the Norse Eastern Settlement, Gr eenland
Frédéric Dussault1,*, Véronique Forbes2, and Allison Bain3
Abstract - Thirty-one sediment samples collected from midden layers at the Tatsip Ataa (E172) site located in the former
Norse Eastern Settlement in Greenland were analyzed for insect remains. These efforts allowed for the identification of
species believed to have been introduced involuntarily with Norse settlers upon colonization, while suggesting the origin
of materials disposed of in the midden. Our analysis of outdoor insects and synanthropes also identified resources exploited
from the local environment, suggesting that the midden represents the end result of a number of domestic activities including
construction, maintenance, hygienic practices, and animal h usbandry.
In The Footsteeps of Vebæk—Vatnahverfi Studies 2005-2011
Journal of the North Atlantic
1Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. 2University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. 3Environmental Archaeology
Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, Canada. *Corresponding author - dussault.fred@gmail.com.
2014 Special Volume 6:14–28
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
15
excavation was extended by 2 m to the South and 3
m to the East (blocks B and C) for a total of 25 m2
(5 m x 5 m) (Smiarowski 2012:8–9). Midden levels
were excavated individually using a single-context
recording method, where each context excavated
is given a unique number and its relation in the
stratigraphy is expressed in a matrix (Smiarowski
2012:5, 8). At 70 cm below the surface, a deposit
composed mainly of turf debris was encountered
throughout the different sections of the midden
(context [022] excavated in 2009). This layer clearly
marked a separation between the upper deposits
where preservation of organic material was poor,
and the lower deposits, where organic materials
(wood and bones) were well-preserved. Other than
samples s004 and s049 (contexts [020] and [021]),
all samples analyzed in this study were taken
from below this well-defined layer. Bedrock was
encountered at 160 cm below the surface. Radiocarbon
dates obtained from Bos taurus and caprine
bones indicate an occupation from A.D. 890–1020
to A.D. 1205–1265 (Smiarowski 2012:35), thus
providing a chronological framework for excavation
block C, where most of the archaeoentomological
samples were taken (Table 1).
Samples for archaeoentomological analyses
were collected in 2009 and 2010. The matrix of
the samples was primarily composed of partially
decomposed plant material (60–90%), mixed with
white, fine sand (10–30%). Wood, twigs, and wood
shavings were also found in most samples, as well as
small pieces of charcoal and small bone fragments.
The only exception was context [020], or sample 4,
which contained a higher percentage of sand (60%).
Laboratory methodology
Thirty-one sediment samples were analyzed at
the Laboratoire d'archéologie environnementale at
Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada, following
the procedure devised by Coope and Osborne
(1967), described by Kenward et al. (1980, 1986),
and later modified by Bain (2001). The 3-l samples
were washed with lukewarm water and sieved
through a geological mesh screen with a 250-μ
opening. All samples were subjected to kerosene
flotation, and this step was repeated twice for samples
rich in plant material. The floated material was
stored in ethanol in glass jars and later sorted and
examined for entomological remains using a lowpower
binocular microscope. The heavy residues,
Figure 1. Igaliku fjord showing the location of Tatsip Ataa, with its location in Greenland in the inset. Based on maps
provided by Nunagis.gl (NunaGIS and the Danish Geodata Agency 2013) and modified by the authors using ArcGIS 10.1.
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
16
Table 1. Radiocarbon dates from the site of Tatsip Ataa. Samples were dated at the Scottish Universities’ Environmental Research Center
SUERC (Smiarowski 2012:35).
E 172 AMS Radiocarbon (bone collagen) Calibrated years
Entomo.
Sample # Context Species Lab reference 14C Before Present Sd Delta 13C 1 Sigma 2 Sigma
E172 [01] Bos taurus SUERC 17573 810 35 -21.1 1205–1265 1160–1280
E172 [018] Bos taurus SUERC 33597 905 35 -21.5 1040–1180 1023–1210
E 172 [055] Bos taurus SUERC 33593 930 35 -20.6 1030–1160 1020–1190
s063 E172 [055] Bos taurus SUERC 33594 935 35 -21.3 1030–1160 1020–1180
E172 [12] Bos taurus SUERC 17575 960 35 -21.1 1020–1160 1010–1160
s049 E172 [021] Caprine SUERC 33596 960 35 -19.8 1020–1160 1010–1160
E172 [16] Bos taurus SUERC 17579 965 35 -20.6 1020–1160 1010–1160
s049 E172 [021] Bos taurus SUERC 33595 990 35 -21.0 990–1150 980–1160
E172 [12] Bos taurus SUERC 17574 1000 35 -20.3 990–1120 990–1280
s034 E 172[037] Bos taurus SUERC 33489 1035 35 -21.4 975–1025 890–1050
s084 E172 [069] Bos taurus SUERC 33587 1050 35 -21.5 900–1030 890–1030
S084 E172 [069] Bos taurus SUERC 33588 1080 35 -21.4 890–1020 890–1020
left after the kerosene processing, were sorted
under a magnifying lamp. Only a single Carabidae
fragment and several Acarina were found in the
heavy fractions.
The identification of beetles, true bugs, and
ectoparasite remains was undertaken by the first
author with the help of reference manuals (Böcher
1988; Lindroth 1961, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969) and
Figure 2. Plan of the Tatsip Ataa site showing the Ruin No.4 dwelling with midden. Excavation blocks A, B, and C are in
midden A. The plan also show modern features (M), modern fields or gardens (obliquely shaded), Inuit features (I) and
modern clearance cairns (black spots). Structures shown on the plan also include a byre with midden (6), outbuildings (1,
7, 8, 10-16, 21), storage buildings (15, 20), animal enclosures (3, 9, 22) and dikes (19, 23). Plan by Christian Koch Madsen.
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
17
anatomical comparisons with modern specimens
from reference collections housed at the Laboratoire
d'archéologie environnementale at Université Laval
and at the René Martineau Insectarium at the Canadian
Forestry Services Centre in Quebec City. Many
studies on the Norse occupation of Greenland have
included dipterous or fly remains in their interpretations
(Buckland et al. 1996, 2009; Panagiotakopulu
2004); however, Diptera are not included in the
present analysis. Minimum numbers of individuals
(MNI) for each taxon were calculated on the basis
of the most abundant insect part. The taxonomic list
of insects presented in Appendix 1 was produced using
the BugsCEP database (Buckland and Buckland
2006) and follows Böhme (2005).
Results
Overview of the archaeoentomological assemblage
In general, the samples exhibited good preservation
of entomological and arthropod remains, such
as the human louse Pediculus humanus shown in
Figure 3a. More than 1000 specimens were identified
(see Appendix 1), while only two samples, s042
and s049, were found to be sterile. Synanthropic
beetles (those often found in, or restricted to, environments
created by humans) as well as outdoor
taxa, ectoparasites (i.e., lice), and eurytopic taxa
(able to thrive in various environmental situations)
were identified.
While the following discussion of the recovered
insect and arthropod fauna classifies the fauna into
broad generalized categories, ecological groupings
and their relative abundance were also considered.
Each of the taxa identified was placed into
an ecological group (Fig. 4). This classification is
based on information about the preferred habitats
of these species in Greenland (Böcher 1988). To allow
for a better appreciation of the variation in the
archaeoentomological data, a diagram (Fig. 5) showing
the total number of insects identified from each
sample, as well as the proportion represented by
each ecological group, was constructed using Tilia
1.7.16 (Grimm 2011). This diagram demonstrates
that the number of insects recovered varies greatly
between samples, but that nearly all assemblages
are dominated by taxa exploiting various types of
organic matter and insects feeding on dry moulding
matter such as hay. Most of these synanthropes were
introduced by Norse settlers to Greenland and were
transported in ships’ provisions, including foodstuffs,
ballast, and dunnage, before seeking out new
Figure 3. Some of the insect remains recovered from Tatsip Ataa: a) human louse, Pediculus humanus, from sample s051;
b) elytron of Latridius minutus group from sample s034.
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
18
Figure 4. Ecological categorization of the identified insects and arthropods from Tatsip Ataa according to their preferred
habitats in Greenland. The category “other” contains taxa that could not be placed into an ecological group because they
were not identified to a sufficiently precise taxonomic level.
niches in the homes of Greenlandic Norse settlers
(cf. Sadler 1991, Sadler and Skidmore 1995). As
most of these insects can only survive in Greenland
in the artificially heated environment provided by
man-made buildings, the majority of them must have
originated from homes and animal stalls or sheds
before being deposited in the midden. They may
have arrived in the midden as the result of successive
dumping events to dispose of butchery waste, as
demonstrated by the results of the zooarchaeological
analysis (Smiarowski, in press), or as house sweepings
and manure from animal stalls (cf. Buckland et
Figure 5. Comparison of the total number of insect remains recovered from each sample with the percentage represented by
each ecological group as defined in Figure 4. Samples s088 and s101 were not included in the diagram because they bear
no direct stratigraphic relationship to the remaining samples.
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
19
spores in rotting vegetation, while the predacious X.
concinnus has a distribution limited to within turf
huts in Greenland, in settings similar to L. minutus
(Böcher 1988:31, 55; Bousquet 1990)
While most of the synanthropic fauna seem to
have disappeared from Greenland after the demise
of the Norse settlements (ca. mid-15th century), Quedius
mesomelinus and Xylodromus concinnus were
recorded in the early 20th century (Böcher 1988,
1997). This finding suggests that they may have
successfully established themselves in the natural
environment or that they survived by colonizing the
interiors of Inuit structures. A third possibility is
their reintroduction during the 19th and 20th centuries.
At present, Xylodromus concinnus is extinct in
Greenland (Böcher 1997).
Ectoparasites have also been recovered in previous
studies on the Western Settlement and in Iceland
(Amorosi et al. 1992, 1994; Buckland et al. 1992,
2009; McGovern et al. 1983; Skidmore 1996). At
Tatsip Ataa, the human louse, Pediculus humanus,
was identified. Taxonomically, the human louse
has been subdivided into the subspecies Pediculus
humanus corporis (the body louse) and Pediculus
humanus capitis (the head louse), but this subspeciation
is still open to debate (see Bailey et al. 2003,
Leo et al. 2002, Maunder 1983, Veracx et al. 2012).
Human lice remains have been found on Inuit and
palaeoeskimo sites in Greenland dating to the middle
of the previous millennium. These include the
sites of Qaqaitsut and Cape Grinnell, as well as the
Qilakitsoq mummies (Bresciani et al. 1983, 1989;
Dussault 2011; Forbes et al. 2013; Hansen et al.
1991:161–163; McGhee 2009:79; Panagiotakopulu
and Buckland 2013).
Insects parasitizing domestic animals were also
recovered, in the form of the sheep ked, Melophagus
ovinus. This parasite is specific to sheep and
thus provides proxy evidence of sheep at the site.
Because the sheep ked is strongly attached to the
sheep’s fleece, concentrations of this parasite are
usually considered evidence of wool processing
(Buckland and Perry 1989; Kenward 2009:56, 263;
Panagiotakopulu 2004:1680). Other possible explanations
for the presence of M. ovinus in the midden
include secondary deposition of floor materials
cleared from a farm or domestic building (Buckland
et al. 2009:112, Panagiotakopulu, et al. 2012:543).
Resources collected from the local environment:
The outdoor fauna
A number of outdoor species were also recovered.
Some of these insects can be considered to
be background fauna (sensu Kenward 1975), which
al. 1993:522). As such, they allow for a reconstruction
of some the interior environments as well as
some of the activities that took place there.
The midden environment, an open and exposed
area, provided an ideal feeding and hunting ground
for several outdoor beetle species. Figure 5 shows
that nearly all samples yielded outdoor taxa which
inhabit a variety of environments, including wet
meadows, grasslands, the seashore, and aquatic
environments. Some of these organisms probably
arrived in the midden as they were searching for
food or prey, and may have originated from the local
environment. However, because Norse Greenlanders
are known to have exploited many resources
in the natural environment, such as peat, turf, and
seaweed (Buckland 2000; Buckland et al. 1993:514,
1994:134–138), the use of such materials in building
construction and for litter, fuel, and/or bedding probably
accounts for the presence of at least some of the
outdoor taxa recovered.
The following section presents synanthropic
insects recovered from Tatsip Ataa that are believed
to have been introduced to the islands as a result
of the Norse colonization. Their ecological preferences,
as well as those of the outdoor fauna and the
ectoparasites, are also discussed in an attempt to
identify some of the midden contents and to reconstruct
characteristics of the site economy as well as
the environment around the site.
Synanthropic insect travelers
The Tatsip Ataa study offered an opportunity to
obtain new records of synanthropic or introduced
species. Many of the insects in the synanthropic
group were previously identified by Böcher (1988)
as species introduced by Norse settlers to Greenland.
The introduction of hay cultivation and animal husbandry
no doubt enabled some of these species to
survive in Greenland, as these activities produced
accumulations of organic materials resulting in
suitable habitats for them to colonize (Buckland
2000:149, Buckland et al. 1991, Sadler 1991:204–
205). Among these, the rove beetles Philonthus sp.
and Quedius mesomelinus are associated with cultivated
ground, dung, and carrion—settings in which
they prey on other insects (Böcher 1988:24). A number
of mould-feeders and their predators—insects
that live in human habitations, barns, and stables on
dry, moulding vegetal matter such as old hay—have
also been introduced by cultural agency. Two of the
most common in this category are Latridius minutus
group (Fig. 3b) and Xylodromus concinnus, both of
which were recovered from most samples from Tatsip
Ataa. L. minutus feeds exclusively on moulds and
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
20
archaeological deposits (Amorosi et al. 1994:77,
Buckland 2000:150). The presence of moss-feeding
beetles, associated with environments from which
peat was collected, has also been interpreted as evidence
for the presence of this material (Buckland et
al. 1994:134–138).
The use of peat and turf at the site of Tasiusaq,
located near Tatsip Ataa, has been discussed by Panagiotakopulu
and Buckland (2013). Those authors
argue that the pre-Landnám fauna of Tasiusaq was
a willow-dominated wetland. During archaeoentomological
analyses, they identified the willow
feeding weevil D. imbecillus (Panagiotakopulu and
Buckland 2013: 7). They also argue that in order to
favor the growth of grass and hay, wetlands were
cleared by burning. This clearance changed the
entomological fauna by favoring predatory beetles
such as Quedius fellmani and Bembidion grapii, as
well as moss-feeders naturally found in wetlands
such as Simplocaria metallica and Byrrhus fasciatus
(Panagiotakopulu and Buckland 2013:8). This intentional
clearing caused supplemental runoff, which
likely would have accumulated and attracted water
beetles, such as Hydroporus morio.
We identified specimens of S. metallica and B.
fasciatus, both of which feed on moss in damp areas
with short vegetation (Böcher 1988), as well as the
water beetles H. morio and Dysticidae indet., from
the Tatsip Ataa assemblages, although fewer water
beetles were recovered than at Tasiusaq. This finding
suggests the Norse settlement might also have
opened up the landscape at Tatsip Ataa, creating a
wetter environment encouraging peat growth. The
presence of several byrrhid or moss-feeding beetles
in the midden at Tatsip Ataa could also have been
caused by the discard of peat used in building construction.
As mentioned by Panagiotakopulu and
Buckland (2013), there is an absence of good structural
turf in Greenland due to the scarcity of animal
grazing in the fields. In Iceland, the solution to this
problem was to harvest superficial peats in wetlands
(Panagiotakopulu and Buckland 2013:9). Buildings
made out of turf need upkeep every 20–30 years in
Iceland, and old turves were likely discarded in the
midden (Ólafsson and Ágústsson 2003; van Hoof
and van Dijken 2008). This activity was identified at
Tatsip Ataa, as contexts [076] and [022] were identified
as turf debris associated with such maintenance
and repair of turf buildings.
The largest archaeoentomological presence in
the Tatsip Ataa samples is that of the rove beetles,
or members of the family Staphylinidae. This family
includes both synanthropes and outdoor species that
are generally associated with environments rich in
may have arrived in the midden as a result of their
search of food. However, an alternate explanation
relates to the exploitation of local resources, such as
peat, turf, seaweed, and hay, which has been widely
documented in the Norse North Atlantic (Buckland
2000:147, 149; Hallsson 1964; Ólafsson and Ágústsson
2003:6; Ross and Zutter 2007).
Turf, or the upper layers of grass held together
by roots, was used as a building material by Norse
Greenlanders (Buckland 2000). It has been demonstrated
that turf provides suitable environments
for synanthropic species associated with mouldy
decaying vegetation. Since turf was collected from
meadows and wetlands, its collection would also
introduce insects from these environments into the
archaeological record (e.g., Amorosi et al. 1992:183,
Buckland et al. 1992:161, Kenward et al. 1984).
Among the outdoor species, the ground beetles Nebria
rufescens and Patrobus septentrionis are often
found in humid settings near lakes shores and river
banks (Böcher 1988:7–10), and may have arrived
in the midden among discarded turves. The ground
beetles Bembidion grapii and Trichocellus cognatus
are associated with similar, though at times drier,
environments (Böcher 1988:12–15) and could also
have been incorporated in this way. Weevil species
such as Otiorynchus arcticus, O. nodosus, Hypera
diversipunctata, and Dorytomus imbecillus are
also associated with natural environments, including
meadows and grasslands in Greenland (Böcher
1988:61–67). It is thus possible that their presence
in the midden represents turf disposal as well. Other
insects that may have entered the midden along with
this material include the true bug Nysius groenlandicus,
abundant in some grassy areas of Greenland
(Böcher and Fredskild 1993:21), along with plantfeeding
aphids.
Peat was also used for a variety of purposes in
the North Atlantic, including fuel, litter, and fertilizer
(Buckland et al. 1993:518), and pollen-analysis
studies have recently provided evidence for peat cutting
in the Qorlortoq valley (Schofield et al. 2008),
also part of the Eastern Settlement. Because both
peat and turf were collected from the natural environment,
they may have introduced similar outdoor
insect species into archaeological deposits. For this
reason, it is difficult to differentiate between peat
and turf in archaeoentomological assemblages (Amorosi
et al. 1992:182–183, Buckland 2000:149–150,
Buckland et al. 1992:161, Kenward et al. 2012).
However, as peat would always have been collected
from wet environments, such as peat bogs, mires,
and wetlands, it is generally accepted that the use of
peat is more likely to introduce aquatic species into
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
21
decomposing organic material. Outdoor rove beetles
include Quedius fellmani, which is widespread in
Greenland and associated with fairly dry plant communities
(Böcher 1988), as well as Micralymma
brevilingue and M. marinum. Both of the latter species
occur on the seashore, and M. brevilingue has
also been recorded from inland tundra environments
(Böcher 1988, Makarova et al. 2007). As Tatsip Ataa
is located near the edge of the fjord, it is possible that
these insects were part of the background fauna and
thus originated from the local environment. However,
it is also possible that they were deposited with
resources collected from beaches (cf. Buckland et al.
1993:514). Seaweed is mentioned in North Atlantic
ethnographic sources as a source of salt and animal
fodder (Fenton 1978, Hallsson 1964, Zutter 2000).
Both sheep and cattle have been observed grazing
on seaweed on the seashore (Buckland and Panagiotakopulu
2005:141), and finds of insect species
associated with seaweed on other Norse sites have
been interpreted as evidence for the exploitation of
this marine resource in Iceland and Greenland (e.g.,
Amorosi et al. 1992:182, 1994:75; Skidmore 1996).
Flooring material, household debris, and middens
Previous archaeoentomological analyses undertaken
on middens in the former Western Settlement
have demonstrated that some of the midden contents
originated in Norse homes (Buckland et al. 1994).
Layers mainly composed of wood chips and twigs,
previously interpreted as residue from woodworking
or animal fodder (Roussell 1941), have been reinterpreted
on the basis of the entomological evidence as
litter for Norse houses. The identification of many
synanthropic mould-feeders and their predators
from midden deposits from various Greenlandic
Norse sites suggests that these layers formed indoors
(Buckland et al. 1993, McGovern et al. 1983, Sadler
1987). Moss-feeders and aquatic insects also suggest
the presence of peat in these deposits (Buckland
et al. 1993:134–138). Thus, it appears that Norse
Greenlanders used twigs, wood chips, and peat in the
construction of their house floors, and that these materials
provided stabilization and insulation against
the cold ground surface below (cf. Buckland et al.
1994). Cleaning and sweeping activities would have
allowed this material and the accompanying insect
faunas (aquatic species as well as mould and moss
feeders found on peat), to be re-deposited in middens
(Ibid.).
The presence of the above-mentioned human
lice may be used to infer hygiene and living conditions
(Bain 2004, Coope 1981, Girling 1984), but
also as evidence for the proximity of humans or
their clothes (Amorosi et al. 1994:74, Konráðsdóttir
2007:63), or for residues from delousing
(Buckland et al. 1992, Dussault 2011, Forbes et
al. 2013). Buckland et al. (1993:519) suggest that
the presence of human lice, along with beetles
preferring dry conditions such as mould-feeders,
can be used to identify faunas originating from
house floors. In the United Kingdom, human ectoparasites
and mould-feeder beetle taxa have been
included in species groups representative of these
contexts (Carrott and Kenward 2001:891, Hall and
Kenward 1990:399, Kenward and Hall 1995:662).
The presence of these insects at Tatsip Ataa thus
serves to reinforce the possibility that flooring
materials were dumped in the midden. Twigs and
wood chips were recovered from the heavy fractions
of many of the samples analyzed; it thus
seems likely that the material used for flooring at
Tatsip Ataa was similar to that used at other Norse
Greenlandic sites (Buckland et al. 1983, 1994;
McGovern et al. 1983). Our archaeoentomological
analysis has thus confirmed some of the initial
interpretations which suggested that many contexts
were turf dumps or re-deposited floor layers
(Smiarowski 2012).
Although the sheep ked, Melophagus ovinus, can
serve as evidence that sheep were kept on the site
or that their wool was processed, it is not the only
insect recovered from these samples that can be
connected with animal husbandry. It was essential
for Norse farmers to cultivate enough hay to overwinter
their animals (Amorosi et al. 1998, Buckland
2000:147), and there is little doubt that the presence
of many synanthropic insects feeding on moulds and
spores was at least partly enabled by the storage of
fodder. Numerous Philonthus sp. and Omalium excavatum
were present in the samples. As these taxa
are often associated with animal dung and manure
(Larsson and Gigja 1959), the specimens identified
from Tatsip Ataa may have originated from the floors
of animal stalls. It is also possible, however, that the
former inhabitants of the site also spread animal manure
onto fields to fertilize them. Samples collected
from drainage ditches at Garðar (modern-day Igaliku)
in the Eastern Settlement yielded many insects
that originated from the interiors of houses and byres
(Smith 1996), which were interpreted as evidence
for manuring in Norse Greenland (Buckland et al.
2009, Panagiotakopulu et al. 2012).
Conclusion
Despite the fact that middens represent the re-deposition
and discard of in situ deposits, the analysis
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
22
Amorosi, T., P.C. Buckland, K. Magnússon, T.H. Mc-
Govern, and J.P. Sadler. 1994. An archaeozoological
examination of the midden at nesstofa, Reykjavík,
Iceland. Pp. 69–80, In R. Luff and P. Rowley-Conwy
(Eds.). Whither Environmental Archaeology. Oxbow
Monograph, Oxford, UK. 212 pp.
Amorosi, T., P.C. Buckland, K.J. Edwards, I. Mainland,
J.P. McGovern, and P. Skidmore. 1998. They did not
live by grass alone: The politics and palaeoecology of
animal fodder in the North Atlantic region. Environmental
Archaeology 1:41–54.
Bailey, A.M., P. Prociv, and H.P. Petersen. 2003. Head lice
and body lice: Shared traits invalidate assumptions
about evolutionary and medical distinctions. Australian
Journal of Medical Science 24:48–62.
Bain, A. 2001. Archaeoentomological and Archaeoparasitological
Reconstructions at Îlot Hunt (CeEt-110):
New Perspectives in Historical Archaeology (1850–
1900). Vol. 973. British Archaeological Reports, Oxford,
UK. 310 pp.
Bain, A. 2004. Irritating intimates: The archaeoentomology
of lice, fleas, and bedbugs. Northeast Historical
Archaeology 33:81–90.
Böcher, J. 1988. The coleoptera of Greenland. Meddelelser
om Grønland, Biosciences 26:100.
Böcher, J. 1997. History of the Greenland insect fauna
with emphasis on living and fossil beetles Pp. 35–48,
In A.C. Ashworth, P.C. Buckland, and J.P. Sadler
(Eds.). Studies in Quaternary Entomology: An Inordinate
Fondness for Insects. Quaternary Proceedings.
Vol. 5. Wiley, Chichester, UK. 305 pp.
Böcher, J., and B. Fredskild. 1993. Plant and arthropod
remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk,
West Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience
Vol. 30. 37 pp.
Böhme, J. 2005. Die Käfer Mitteleuropas. K. Katalog
(Faunistiche Übersicht) (2nd Editon). Spektrum Academic,
Munich, Germany.
Bousquet, Y. 1990. Beetles Associated with Stored Products
in Canada : An Identification Guide. Canadian
Government Publishing Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
220 pp.
Bresciani, J., N. Haarløv, P. Nansen, and G. Moller. 1983.
Head louse (Pediculus humanus subsp. capitis de
Geer) from mummified corpses of Greenlanders, A.D.
1460 (± 50). Acta Entomologica Fennica 42:24–27.
Bresciani, J., N. Haarløv, P. Nansen, and G. Moller. 1989.
Head lice in mummified Greenlanders from A.D.
1475. Pp. 89–92, In J.P.H. Hansen and H.C. Gulløv
(Eds.). The Mummies from Qilakitsoq: Eskimos in
the 15th Century. Meddelelser om Grønland, Man and
Society, Copenhagen, Denmakr. 198 pp.
Buckland, P.C. 2000. The North Atlantic environment. Pp.
146–153, In W. Fitzhugh and E.I. Ward (Eds.). Viking:
The North Atlantic Saga. Smithsonian Institution
Press, Washington, DC, USA. 432 pp.
Buckland, P.C., and E. Panagiotakopulu. 2005. Archaeology
and palaeoecology of the Norse Atlantic Islands:
A review. Pp. 136–150, In A. Mortensen and S.V. Arge
(Eds.). Viking and Norse North Atlantic. Select Papers
from the Proceedings of the Fourteenth Viking Congress,
Tórshavn, 19–30 July 2001. Annales Societatis
Scientiarum Færoensis, Tórshavn, The Faroe Islands.
441 pp.
of insects preserved in such contexts can offer a
great deal of information on both the environments
around a site and the activities that took place there
(cf. Buckland et al. 1993). A large proportion of the
insects recovered—including parasites infesting humans
and their animals, as well as synanthropic beetles—
were introduced to Greenland with the Norse
colonization. These taxa were known from previous
archaeoentomological research on Norse sites (e.g.,
Buckland et al. 1983, 1998, 2009; McGovern et al.
1983); and radiocarbon dates obtained from Tatsip
Ataa indicate that these introductions arrived during
or shortly after colonization. The presence of species
from varied outdoor environments and those confined
to human-made habitats suggests that some of
the midden contents were the result of the disposal
of domestic refuse. Based on the insect faunas, it
appears that the inhabitants used the same flooring
materials as the occupants of the farms of the Western
Settlement (e.g., Buckland et al. 1983, 1994;
McGovern et al. 1983; Sadler 1987), including peat,
turf, hay, twigs, and wood. Sheep parasites and insects
that exploited habitats produced by dung, manure,
and hay can be connected to animal husbandry.
Seaweed, collected from the beaches, may have been
employed in conjunction with hay as fodder for the
animals, while peat collected from meadows may
not only have served as flooring but also as fuel. The
different groups of insects identified from the Tatsip
Ataa midden allow a privileged glimpse into the past
daily lives of Norse Greenlanders.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Jette Arneborg of the
Danish National Museum and Konrad Smiarowski, a doctoral
candidate at the City University of New York, for the
opportunity to participate in this project and for support for
the laboratory analyses. We would also like to thank the
Groupe de recherches en archéométrie at Université Laval
for financing part of the sample preparation and processing.
The authors would like to thank Bryn Tapper for his help
with the ArcGIS program and Christian Koch Madsen for
his plan of the Tatsip Ataa site, as well as Eva Panagiotakopulu
and other anonymous reviewers for thoughtful suggestions
on how to improve the original manuscript.
Literature Cited
Amorosi, T., P.C. Buckland, G. Ólafsson, J.P. Sadler,
and P. Skidmore. 1992. Site status and the palaeoecological
record: A discussion of the results from Bessasstaðir,
Iceland. Pp. 169–191, In C.D. Morris and
D.J. Rackham (Eds.). Norse and Latter Settlement and
Subsistence in the North Atlantic. University of Glasgow,
Glasgow, UK. 230 pp.
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
23
Chepstow-Lusty, A.J., M.R. Frogley, B.S. Bauer, M.J.
Leng, A.B. Cundy, K.P. Boessenkool, and A. Gioda.
2007. Evaluating socio-economic change in the Andes
using oribatid mite abundanced as indicators of domestic
animal densities. Journal of Archaeological
Science 34:1178–1186.
Coope, G.R. 1978. Constancy of insect species versus inconstancy
of Quaternary environments. Pp. 176–187,
In L.A. Mound and N. Waloff (Eds.). Diversity of
Insect Faunas. Vol. 9. Blackwell, Oxford, UK. 204 pp.
Coope, G.R. 1981. Report on the coleoptera from an eleventh-
century house at Christ Church Place, Dublin. Pp.
51–56, In H. Bekker-Nielsen, P. Foote, and O. Olsen
(Eds.). Proceedings of the Eighth Viking Congress
(1977). Odense University Press, Odense, Denmark.
294 pp.
Coope, G.R., and P.J. Osborne. 1967. Report on the
coleopterous fauna of the Roman well at Barnsley
Park, Gloucestershire. Transactions of the Bristol and
Gloucestershire Archaeological Society 86:84–87.
Dussault, F. 2011. Hygiène et Considérations Hygiéniques
des Inughuits du Nord-ouest du Groenland. Étude
Archéoentomologique des Sites d’Iita, Cap Grinnell et
Qaqaitsut au Groenland. Master's degree. Université
Laval, Québec City, PQ, Canada. 117 pp.
Elias, S.A. 1994. Quaternary Insects and their Environments.
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington,
DC, USA. 284 pp.
Elias, S.A. 2010. Advances in Quaternary Entomology.
Vol. 12 Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 288 pp.
Erickson, J.M. 1988. Fossil oribatid mites as tools for
Quaternary paleoecologists: Preservation quality,
quantities, and taphonomy. Pp. 207–226, In R.S.
Laub, N.G. Miller, and D.G. Steadman (Eds.). Late
Pleistocene and Early Holocene Paleoecology and Archaeology
of the Eastern Great Lakes Region. Vol. 33.
Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences,
Buffalo, NY, USA. 316 pp.
Fenton, A. 1978. The Northern Isles: Orkney and Shetland.
Tuckwell Press, Edinburgh, UK. 721 pp.
Forbes, V., F. Dussault, and A. Bain. 2013. Contribution
of ectoparasites studies in archaeology with two examples
from the North Atlantic region. International
Journal of Paleopathology. Available online at http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2013.07.004. Accessed 6
December 2013.
Girling, M. 1984. Eighteenth-century records of human
lice (Phthiraptera, Anoplura) and fleas (Siphonaptera,
Pulicidae) in the city of London. Entomologist’s
Monthly Magazine 120:207–210.
Grimm, E.C. 2011. Tilia version 1.7.16. Available online
at http://museum.state.il.us/pub/grimm/. Accessed 19
November 2013.
Haarløv, N. 1967. Arthropoda (Acarina, Diptera) from
subfossil layers in West Greenland. Meddelelser om
Grønland 184:1–17.
Hall, A.R,. and H.K. Kenward. 1990. Environmental
evidence from the colonia: Tanner row and Rougier
street. Vol. 14/6 Council for British Archaeology for
York Archaeological Trust, York, UK. 56 pp.
Hallsson, S.V. 1964. The Uses of Seaweeds in Iceland.
Pergamon, New York, NY, USA. Pp. 398–405.
Buckland, P.C., and D.W. Perry. 1989. Ectoparasites of
sheep from Storaborg, Iceland and their interpretation.
Piss, parasites, and people, a palaeoecological perspective.
Hikuin 15:37–46.
Buckland, P.C., G. Sveinbjarnadóttir, D. Savory, T.H.
McGovern, P. Skidmore, and C. Andreasen. 1983
Norsemen at Nipáitsoq, Greenland: A palaeoecological
investigation. Norwegian Archaeological Review
16:86–98.
Buckland, P.C., A.J. Dugmore, and J.P. Sadler. 1991.
Faunal change or taphonomic problem? A comparison
of modern and fossil insect faunas from southeast Iceland.
Pp. 127–146, In J.K. Maizels and C. Caseldine
(Eds.). Environmental Change in Iceland: Past and
Present. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The
Netherlands. 332 pp.
Buckland, P.C., J.P. Sadler, and G. Sveinbjarnadóttir.
1992. Palaeoecological Investigations at Reykholt,
Western Iceland. Pp. 149–167, In C.D. Morris and D.J.
Rackham (Eds.). Norse and Latter Settlement and Subsistence
in the North Atlantic. University of Glasgow,
Glasgow, UK. 230 pp.
Buckland, P.C., J.P. Sadler, and D. Smith. 1993. An Insect’s
eye-view of the Norse farm. Pp. 518–528, In
C.E. Batey, J. Jesch, and C. D. Morris (Eds.). The Viking
Age in Caithness, Orkney, and the North Atlantic.
Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, UK. 560 pp.
Buckland, P.C., T.H. McGovern, J.P. Sadler, and P. Skidmore.
1994. Twig layers, floors, and middens. Recent
palaeoecological research in the Western Settlement,
Greenland. Pp. 132–143, In B. Ambrosiani and H.
Clarke (Eds.). Developments Around the Baltic and
the North Sea in the Viking Age (Twelfth Viking Congress)
Birka Studies 3. Produced by the Birka Project
for Riksantikvarieämbetet and Statens Historiska Mu -
seer, Stockholm, Sweden. 320 pp.
Buckland, P.C., T. Amorosi, L.K. Barlow, A.J. Dugmore,
P.A. Mayewski, T.H. McGovern, A.E.J. Ogilvie, J.P.
Sadler, and P. Skidmore 1996. Bioarchaeological and
climatological evidence for the fate of Norse farmers
in medieval Greenland. Antiquity 70:88–96.
Buckland, P.C., P.I. Buckland, and P. Skidmore. 1998. Insect
remains from GUS: An interim report. Pp. 74–79,
In J. Arneborg and H.C. Gulløv (Eds.). Man, Culture,
and Environment in Ancient Greenland. Danish National
Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark. 212 pp.
Buckland, P.C., K.J. Edwards, E. Panagiotakopulu, and
E.J. Schofield. 2009. Palaeoecological and historical
evidence for manuring and irrigation at Garðar
(Igaliku), Norse Eastern Settlement, Greenland. The
Holocene 19:105–116.
Buckland, P.I., and P.C. Buckland. 2006. BugsCEP Coleopteran
Ecology Package. IGBP PAGES/World Data
Center for Paleoclimatology Data Contribution Series
# 2006–116. NOAA/NCDC Paleoclimatology Program,
Boulder CO, USA. Available online at http://
www.bugscep.com. Accessed 5 April 2013.
Carrott, J., and H.K. Kenward. 2001. Species associations
among insect remains from urban archaeological
deposits and their significance in reconstructing the
past human environment. Journal of Archaeological
Science 28:887–904.
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
24
Hansen, J.P.H., J. Meldgaard, and J. Nordqvist. 1991. The
Greenland Mummies. British Museum Publications,
London, UK. 192 pp.
Kenward, H.K. 1975. Pitfalls in the environmental interpretation
of insect death assemblages. Journal of
Archaeological Science 2:85–94.
Kenward, H.K. 1978. The value of insect remains as
evidence of ecological conditions on archaeological
sites. Pp. 25–38, In D.R. Brothwell, K.D. Thomas,
and J. Clutton-Brock (Eds.). Research Problems in
Zooarchaeology. Occasional Publication 3. Institute
of Archaeology, University of London, London, UK.
155 pp.
Kenward, H.K. 2009. Northern Regional Review of Environmental
Archaeology Invertebrates in Archaeology
in the North of England Environmental Studies
Report. English Heritage, Portsmouth, UK. 625 pp.
Kenward, H.K., and A.R. Hall. 1995. Biological evidence
from Anglo-Scandinavian deposits at 16-22 Coppergate.
The Archaeology of York 14:435–797.
Kenward, H.K., A.R. Hall, and A.K.G. Jones. 1980. A
Tested set of techniques for the extraction of plant and
animal macrofossils from waterlogged archaeological
deposits. Science and Archaeology 22:3–15.
Kenward, H.K., A.R. Hall, A.K.G. Jones, and T.P. O’Connor.
1984. Environmental archaeology at York in retrospect
and prospect. Pp. 152–179, In H.C.M. Keeley
(Ed.). Environmental Archaeology. A regional review.
Department of Ancient Monuments and Historic
Buildings Occasional Papers 6, London, UK. 379 pp.
Kenward, H.K., C. Engleman, A. Robertson, and F. Large.
1986. Rapid scanning of urban archaeological deposits
for insect remains. Circaea 3:163–172.
Kenward, H.K., A.R. Hall, and A.K.G. Jones. 2012. Turf
roofs and urban archaeological build-up. Environmental
Archaeology 17(1):66–79.
Konráðsdóttir, H. 2007. An Archaeoentomological Contribution
to the Skálholt Project, Iceland. University
of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 88 pp.
Larsson, S.G. and G. Gigja. 1959. Coleoptera 1. synopsis.
Pp. 218, In A. Fridriksson and S. L. Tuxen (Eds.). The
Zoology of Iceland 3, Part 46a. Ejnar Munksgaard,
Copenhagen, Denmark, and Reykjavik, Iceland. 218 pp.
Leo, N.P., H.J.H. Campbell, X. Yang, K. Mumcuoglu, and
S.C. Barker 2002. Evidence from mitochondrial DNA
that head lice and body lice of humans (Phthiraptera:
Pediculidae) are conspecific. Journal of Medical Entomology
39:662–666.
Lindroth, C.H. 1961. The Ground Beetles (Carabidae,
excl. Cicindelinae) of Canada and Alaska. Vol. 2 Lund
Entomologiska Sällskapet, Lund, Sweden. 1192 pp.
Lindroth, C.H. 1963. The Ground Beetles (Carabidae,
excl. Cicindelinae) of Canada and Alaska. Vol. 3 Lund
Entomologiska Sällskapet, Lund, Sweden. 1192 pp.
Lindroth, C.H. 1966. The Ground Beetles (Carabidae,
excl. Cicindelinae) of Canada and Alaska. Vol. 4 Lund
Entomologiska Sällskapet, Lund, Sweden. 1192 pp.
Lindroth, C.H. 1968. The Ground Beetles (Carabidae,
excl. Cicindelinae) of Canada and Alaska. Vol. 5 Lund
Entomologiska Sällskapet, Lund, Sweden. 1192 pp.
Lindroth, C.H. 1969. The Ground Beetles (Carabidae,
excl. Cicindelinae) of Canada and Alaska. Vol. 6 Lund
Entomologiska Sällskapet, Lund, Sweden. 1192 pp.
Makarova, O.L., A.O. Bieńkowski, V.I. Bulavintsev, and
A.V. Sokolov. 2007. Beetles (Coleoptera) in polar
deserts of the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago. Entomological
Review 87(9):1142–1154.
Maunder, J.W. 1983. The appreciation of lice. Proceedings
of the Royal Institution of Great Britain 55:1–31.
McGhee, R. 2009. The population size and temporal duration
of the Thule in arctic Canada. Pp. 75–90, In B.
Gronnow and H.C. Gullov (Eds.). On the Track of the
Thule Culture from Bering Strait to East Greenland;
Proceedings of the SILA Conference “The Thule Culture—
New Perspectives in Inuit Prehistory”, Copenhagen,
26th–28th October 2006. Greenland Research
Center (Nationalmuseet : Denmark), Copenhagen,
Denmark. 263 pp.
McGovern, T.H., P.C. Buckland, D. Savory, G. Sveinbjarnardóttir,
C. Andreason, and P. Skidmore. 1983. A
study of the faunal and floral remains from two Norse
farms in the Western settlement, Greenland. Arctic
Anthropology 20:93–120.
NunaGIS and the Danish Geodata Agency. 2013. Topographic
map of Greenland. Available online at http://
www.nunagis.gl/en/ and http://www.gst.dk/English/.
Accesssed 11 May 2013.
Ólafsson, G., and H. Ágústsson. 2003. The reconstructed
medieval farm in Jórsárdalur and the development of
the Icelandic turf house. National Museum of Iceland,
Reykjavík, Iceland. 35 pp.
Panagiotakopulu, E. 2004. Dipterous remains and archaeological
interpretation. Journal of Archaeological
Science 31:1675–1684.
Panagiotakopulu, E., and P. Buckland. 2013. Late Holocene
environmental change in southwest Greenland:
Fossil assemblages from Tasiusaq. Boreas. Available
online at DOI:10.1111/j.1502-3885.2012.00277.x.
Accessed 1 October 2013.
Panagiotakopulu, E., P. Skidmore, and P. Buckland. 2007.
Fossil insect evidence for the end of the Western
Settlement in Norse Greenland. Naturwissenschaften
94:300–306.
Panagiotakopulu, E., M. Greenwood, and P. Buckland.
2012. Insect fossils and irrigation in medieval Greenland.
Geografiska Annaler: Series A. Physical Geography
94:531–548
Ross, J.M., and C. Zutter. 2007. Comparing norse animal
husbandry practices: Paleoethnobotanical analyses
from Iceland and Greenland. Arctic Anthropology
44:62–85.
Roussell, A. 1941. Farms and churches of the medieval
Norse settlement in Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland
89:1.
Sadler, J.P. 1987. The analysis of insect remains from
Norse sites in the former Western Settlement of
Greenland. M.Sc. Thesis. University of Birmingham,
Birmingham, UK.
Sadler, J.P. 1991. Beetles, boats, and biogeography. Acta
Archaeologia 61:199–211.
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
25
Sadler, J.P., and P. Skidmore. 1995. Introductions, extinctions
or continuity? Faunal change in the North
Atlantic Islands. Pp. 206–225, In R. Butlin and N.
Roberts (Eds.). Ecological Relations in Historical
Times. Institute of British Geographers, Blackwell,
Oxford, UK. 344 pp.
Schofield, J.E., K.J. Edwards, and C. Christensen. 2008.
Environmental impacts around the time of Norse
landnám in the Qorlortoq valley, Eastern settlement,
Greenland. Journal of Archaeological Science
35:1643–1657.
Skidmore, P. 1996. A Dipterological Perspective on the
Holocene History of the North Atlantic. Ph.D. Dissertation.
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Smiarowski, K. 2012. E172 Tatsip Ataa midden excavation
2009 and 2010 preliminary excavation report.
City University of New York, NY, USA. 128 pp.
Smith, D.N. 1996. Thatch, turves, and floor deposits:
A survey of Coleoptera in material from abandoned
Hebridean blackhouses and the implications for their
visibility in the archaeological record. Journal of Archaeological
Science 23:161–17
van Hoof, J., and F. van Dijken 2008. The historical turf
farms of Iceland: Architecture, building technology,
and the indoor environment. Building and Environment
43:1023–1030.
Veracx, A., R. Rivet, K.D. McCoy, P. Brouqui, and D.
Raoult. 2012. Evidence that head and body lice on
homeless persons have the same genotype. Plos One
7(9):1–8.
Vickers, K., and E. Panagiotakopulu. 2011. Insects in an
abandoned landscape: Late Holocene palaeoentomological
investigations at Sandhavn, Southern Greenland.
Environmental Archaeology 16:49–57.
Zutter, C. 2000. Wood and plant-use in 17th–19th-century
Iceland: Archaeobotanical analysis of Reykholt, Western
Iceland. Environmental Archaeology 5:73–82.
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
26
Appendix 1. Insects and arthropods identified from excavation blocks B and C in a midden at the Tatsip Ataa. The two columns preceding the Total column in the second part of the Appendix
represent the samples taken in the excavation block C. This Appendix was produced using the BugsCEP database (Buckland and Buckland 2006)
[020] [021] [023] [024] [026] [027] [029] [034] [036] [033] [037] [039] [040] [041] [042] [044]
Species name s004 s049 s008 s009 s014 s016 s020 s030 s032 s028 s034 s037 s040 s042 s044 s046
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Carabidae indet. 2 1 1
Nebria rufescens (Ström.) 1
Bembidion grapii Gyll. 1 3 3 2 2 1 1 1
Patrobus septentrionis Dej. 1 1
Trichocellus cognatus (Gyll.) 1 2 1 1 4 2 3
Dytiscidae
Dytiscidae indet. 1
Hydroporus morio Aubé
Staphylinidae
Staphylinidae indet. 1 2 4 5 5 2 4 2 15 13 2 4 6
Omalium excavatum Steph. 3 7 3 1 4 7 2 7 2
Xylodromus concinnus (Marsham) 1 1 4 3 8 6 2 1 5 8 2 2 8
Micralymma marinum (Ström.) 4 3 1 7 1
Micralymma brevilingue Schöidte 1 2 1
Micralymma sp. 1 3 1 1
Philonthus sp. 2 2 1
Quedius mesomelinus (Marsham) 1 1 3
Quedius fellmanni (Zett.) 1 9 4 1
Quedius spp. 1 2 2 2 3 4 1 21 3 7 1
Atheta spp. 1 5 1 5 7 9 3 4 5
Byrrhidae
Simplocaria metallica (Sturm) 1 1 5 11 6 3 1 24 9 2 3 5
Simplocaria elongata Sahl. 1
Simplocaria sp. 1 1
Byrrhus fasciatus (Forst.)
Cryptophagidae
Cryptophagus spp. 2 3 1 1
Caenoscelis ferruginea (Sahl.)
Atomaria spp. 3
Latridius minutus group (L.) 1 1 2 3 2 13 1 1 1 3 9 1 3 2
Coccinelidae
Nephus redtenbacheri (Muls.) 1
Curculionidae
Curculionidae indet. 1 1
Otiorhynchus arcticus (O. Fabricius) 1 1
Otiorhynchus nodosus (Müll.) 2 1 3
Dorytomus imbecillus Faust 1
Hypera diversipunctata Schrank
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
27
[020] [021] [023] [024] [026] [027] [029] [034] [036] [033] [037] [039] [040] [041] [042] [044]
Species name s004 s049 s008 s009 s014 s016 s020 s030 s032 s028 s034 s037 s040 s042 s044 s046
Phthiraptera
Pediculidae
Pediculus humanus L. 1 8
Siphonaptera
Pulicidae
Pulex sp. 3
Diptera
Hippoboscidae
Melophagus ovinus (L.) 3 3 1 2 1 3 6
Hemiptera
Lygaeidae
Nysius groenlandicus (Zett.) 4 4 1
Aphidoidae
Aphidoidae indet. 1 25
MNI 4 0 5 10 31 13 76 36 19 8 107 83 25 0 63 51
[046] [048] [050] [051] [052] [054] [057] [053] [055] [059] [062] [063] [069] [075] [195]
Species name s048 s051 s053 s055 s057 s061 s064 s069 s063 s067 s071 s073 s084 s088 s101 Total
Coleoptera
Carabidae
Carabidae indet. 1 1 6
Nebria rufescens (Ström.) 1 2
Bembidion grapii Gyll. 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 26
Patrobus septentrionis Dej. 1 3
Trichocellus cognatus (Gyll.) 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 22
Dytiscidae
Dytiscidae indet. 1 2
Hydroporus morio Aubé 1 1 2 1 5
Staphylinidae
Staphylinidae indet. 5 4 12 13 1 9 4 6 3 1 1 2 126
Omalium excavatum Steph. 4 4 2 7 1 4 5 2 5 1 1 5 1 78
Xylodromus concinnus (Marsham) 3 10 7 8 6 6 4 9 9 6 2 3 3 4 1 132
Micralymma marinum (Ström.) 1 2 1 2 2 1 6 3 2 2 1 39
Micralymma brevilingue Schöidte 2 2 2 1 1 12
Micralymma sp. 4 1 1 12
Philonthus sp. 1 6
Quedius mesomelinus (Marsham) 3 1 1 1 1 12
Quedius fellmanni (Zett.) 2 3 3 4 1 4 3 6 1 1 1 4 48
Quedius spp. 3 7 9 3 4 1 1 2 77
Atheta spp. 3 4 7 12 1 8 2 2 1 2 1 1 3 2 89
Journal of the North Atlantic
F. Dussault, V. Forbes, and A. Bain
2014 Special Volume 6
28
[046] [048] [050] [051] [052] [054] [057] [053] [055] [059] [062] [063] [069] [075] [195]
Species name s048 s051 s053 s055 s057 s061 s064 s069 s063 s067 s071 s073 s084 s088 s101 Total
Byrrhidae
Simplocaria metallica (Sturm) 5 8 5 10 3 5 5 5 6 3 1 7 4 138
Simplocaria elongata Sahl. 1
Simplocaria sp. 1 1 1 1 6
Byrrhus fasciatus (Forst.) 1 1
Cryptophagidae
Cryptophagus spp. 1 1 1 1 1 1 13
Caenoscelis ferruginea (Sahl.) 1 1
Atomaria spp. 3
Latridius minutus group (L.) 3 6 6 1 2 4 2 11 4 5 1 5 1 94
Coccinelidae
Nephus redtenbacheri (Muls.) 1 1 1 1 1 6
Curculionidae
Curculionidae indet. 1 1 1 1 1 7
Otiorhynchus arcticus (O. Fabricius) 1 2 1 6
Otiorhynchus nodosus (Müll.) 1 1 1 1 10
Dorytomus imbecillus Faust 2 1 4
Hypera diversipunctata Schrank 1 1 1 1 4
Phthiraptera
Pediculidae
Pediculus humanus L. 13 1 5 1 2 31
Siphonaptera
Pulicidae
Pulex sp. 1 4
Diptera
Hippoboscidae
Melophagus ovinus (L.) 1 6 8 3 4 2 43
Hemiptera
Lygaeidae
Nysius groenlandicus (Zett.) 1 3 3 2 1 6 1 26
Aphidoidae 15 1 1 43
Aphidoidae indet. 53 81 73 76 27 56 29 63 37 31 9 11 28 26 7 1138