Size Matters: A study of fish size in the Early Modern period

This thesis examines fish size in the Early Modern period (16th-19th centuries), using the fish bone assemblage from the site of Móakot in Seltjarnarnes. The goal of this study is to see if there are any changes in fish size over time. The entire bone assemblage was sorted for a selection of five fish bones: premaxilla, dentary, atlas, angular, and cleithrum. All of these bones which were identifiable to species were measured. These measurements were then input into regression equations in order to recreate the live size of each fish. The results show no significant change in the fish size over the time period. That indicates that there was stability in fishing practices. There are also indications that Móakot was a fish production site. However, it is not possible yet to determine if the residents of Móakot were also consumers of their products.