Taxonomic identification of whale bones found during archaeological excavations is problematic dueto their typically fragmented state. This difficulty limits understanding of both the past spatio... Show moreTaxonomic identification of whale bones found during archaeological excavations is problematic dueto their typically fragmented state. This difficulty limits understanding of both the past spatio-temporal distributions of whale populations and of possible early whaling activities. To overcomethis challenge, we performed zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry on an unprecedented 719archaeological and palaeontological specimens of probable whale bone from Atlantic Europeancontexts, predominantly dating fromca3500 BCE to the eighteenth century CE. The results showhigh numbers of Balaenidae (many probably North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)) andgrey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) specimens, two taxa no longer present in the eastern NorthAtlantic. This discovery matches expectations regarding the past utilization of North Atlantic rightwhales, but was unanticipated for grey whales, which have hitherto rarely been identified in theEuropean zooarchaeological record. Many of these specimens derive from contexts associated withmediaeval cultures frequently linked to whaling: the Basques, northern Spaniards, Normans,Flemish, Frisians, Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians. This association raises the likelihood that earlywhaling impacted these taxa, contributing to their extirpation and extinction. Much lower numbersof other large cetacean taxa were identified, suggesting that what are now the most depletedwhales were once those most frequently used. Show less
Morales-Muñiz, A.; Gonźlez-Gómez de Agüero, E.; Fernández-Rodríguez, C.; Saborido-Rey, F.; Llorente Rodriguez, L.; López-Arias, B.; Roselló-Izquierdo, E. 2017
This article attempts to set out a research agenda on the origin and evolution of hake exploitation in the Northeast Atlantic through a combination of zooarchaeological data with history and fisheriesShow moreThis article attempts to set out a research agenda on the origin and evolution of hake exploitation in the Northeast Atlantic through a combination of zooarchaeological data with history and fisheries biology. An overview of archaeological hake remains from the Iberian Peninsula is presented and discussed in terms of a series of long-established paradigms. These are later expanded through an overview of issues currently facing the hake fishery, in particular its southern stock. The work concludes by specifying some research problems these issues imply and how historical and biomolecular analyses of archaeological specimens may improve our understanding of hake fisheries in former times in an attempt to implement a hindcasting to forecast strategy that could synergize with current fisheries research on the species. Show less
