THE BISHOP’S MEASURE: LOG-SCALED ANALYSIS OF LIVESTOCK SIZE AND MANAGEMENT AT SKÁLHOLT IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC CONTEXT

Abstract

This dissertation examines livestock management at Skálholt, an elite ecclesiastical center in early modern Iceland, through biometrical analysis of faunal remains. Applying log-ratio scaling to postcranial elements from cattle and sheep dated to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, this research identifies distinctive morphological patterns indicating specialized husbandry strategies. The cattle assemblage indicates evidence for beef-focused production through distinctive metacarpal dimensions and the presence of polled specimens, while sheep remains demonstrate specialized wether management for wool production with significant dimensional differences between length and width measurements. When situated within broader North Atlantic contexts, Skálholt's assemblage demonstrates a regionally specific approach to agricultural innovation distinct from contemporaneous English improvement patterns. Rather than wholesale adoption of continental models emphasizing dramatic size increases, Skálholt shows selective enhancement of specific traits while maintaining adaptations to Iceland's environmental constraints. These findings challenge simplistic diffusion models of agricultural improvement and illuminate how elite institutions in peripheral regions mediated between local traditions and external influences during periods of agricultural transition.