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

Davide Zori*, Jesse Byock, Egill Erlendsson, Steve Martin, Thomas Wake, Kevin J. Edwards

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)150-165
Number of pages16
JournalAntiquity
Volume87
Issue number335
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2013

Other keywords

  • Barley
  • Beer
  • Cattle
  • Chiefly politics
  • Feasting
  • First millennium AD
  • Hall
  • Iceland
  • Ninth century AD
  • Social control
  • Viking period

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